


Heart Of Thorns

by ragewerthers



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Ancient Magus Bride themes, Fluff, M/M, Magic, Past Ignyx, Promnis Big Bang 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2019-11-14
Packaged: 2021-01-29 20:55:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 26,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21416533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ragewerthers/pseuds/ragewerthers
Summary: After turning his back on a world ungrateful for his sacrifices, Ignis finds his quiet seclusion thrown into chaos once more.  It takes the appearance of a young man and an unknown threat slowly descending over the land to bring him back into action.  However, will the daemons of his past keep him from his happiness or will someone finally be able to break through his heart of thorns?
Relationships: Prompto Argentum/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 43
Kudos: 48
Collections: 2019 Promnis Big Bang





	1. Where The Light Hides

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the 2019 Promnis Big Bang and I want to say that it has been amazingly fun to work on this project and strive to write something so huge!
> 
> I want to thank my collaborating artist SunshineAndSnark for her amazing artwork that she made for this fic! She also helped to edit my piece and her constructive criticism has definitely helped me to improve!
> 
> I also wanted to thank my assigned editor Cygna for the work she put in on my fic as well! I am entirely grateful for all the help I needed! :)
> 
> I hope that you all enjoy the fic and you can also find me on tumblr at ragewerthers.tumblr!
> 
> Happy reading! :D

_Black clouds gathering, swirling, choking the air around them. _

_ Two clawed hands reaching for him and a body moving to block their advance, moving to keep him safe. _

_ A scream echoing out into the darkness and then coherent thought vanishes from his mind. _

_ Daggers slash and glint in the storm’s murderous lightning, sparking blue and green with his own magic as he unleashes his fury, anger, sorrow on the beast in front of him that has threatened so much and so many until.... _

_ Silence. _

_ The beast nothing more than smoldering ash and bubbling bile that mixes with the falling rain, sinking into the earth that he worked with his own hands. _

_ Land once used to cure now tainted with poison. _

_ As the chaos calms around him he looks across the battleground, at the devastation of his home, the life he’d cultivated and then he sees him… and his heart stops. _

\------ 5 Years Later; Tenebrae ------

Solanum Estate had been owned by the Lucis Caelum family longer than most people could remember. Originally given as a gift of goodwill and peace to one of the King of Lucis’ sons, the land had been passed down from generation to generation. It still stood as a sign of the countries’ friendliness toward one another and was now the regular summer home for the royal family of Lucis.

The land itself encompassed a few farms, a parsonage and the northern edge of the Aculeus Woods. It was there that one particular cottage stood alone, almost out of sight due to the amount of flora that surrounded it.

Cerinthus Cottage was a small home with a brick and mortar façade, weathered by time but encroached upon by vines of ivy which gave it a rustic sort of appeal, almost charming in its own way. The front yard was filled to the brim with various plants that seemed to thrive around the small home, though a wrought iron fence surrounding the area ensured no one dared to come too close. The dark iron was woven with twisted brambles of thorns to keep greedy hands from stealing the precious plants inside and tampering with their intended purpose.

The back of the house was also well hidden; tall hedges bracketed either side and with the forest to the back of it no one dared to sneak in. However, there was no doubt that more spectacular horticulture lay beyond it, especially considering the resident of the home.

Ignis Scientia had moved into the small cottage four years prior under circumstances that no one in the surrounding area had been given information about or been privy to. Of course rumours spread like wildfire, and many rumours still burned through the small villages of the area about who this mysterious man was and his reasons for coming to such a secluded place.

Was he on the run? Probably not, considering the Lucis Caelum family had allowed him to create a life there. But then what did that mean?

What were his connections to the royal family?

Did the Lucis Caelums have a hideous son they were trying to hide?

Did they have a _ beautiful _ son they were trying to hide?

Many a ridiculous theory was tossed about, but only a handful knew the truth and that was how it was intended to stay.

One of the few people who knew was Gladiolus Amicitia, sworn Shield to the Prince of Lucis and a former close friend to the now-reclusive man who inhabited the cottage. Gladio was one of the few people allowed entry, and even then he still tread a thin line of being shut out completely. A line he inadvertently toed each time he made a visit.

Currently, as evening began to fall on this quiet summer day, Gladio made his way along the stone path that led toward Cerinthus Cottage’s front gates, his eyes glancing over the thorns that remained twisted against the iron bars. Without pause he continued to move forward, the gates remaining closed even as he walked with purpose toward them, drawing closer and closer until he passed through them unscathed as if walking through an illusion.

Opening his eyes, and realizing ashamedly that he had closed them to begin with, he glanced down at himself. His hands smoothed over the front of his black and gold uniform, checking to make sure that he really hadn’t been harmed in some way. He only glanced up as he heard a snort of derision coming from the entrance of the cottage.

“I told you. So long as you know the entry word you will not be harmed,” a cold, accented voice reminded, sounding for all the world as if he wished the thorns had found a way to keep the man at bay outside his residence.

Gladio rolled his eyes and moved closer.

“And I’ve told you, it’ll always be unnerving to walk face first toward thorns the size of daggers,” he shot back, not willing to take that tone from the man in front of him. “Besides, for all I know you could’ve changed it.”

“Don’t give me reason to,” Ignis warned, stepping out of the entryway and onto the stone lined path that led to the front gate. The sleeves of his dark blue button-up were rolled to his elbows, baring his pale forearms and hands, showing no sign of the work he’d just been tending to. However, upon closer inspection traces of earth could be seen on his trousers and boots where he’d been kneeling amongst his plants. The grey gardening apron wrapped around his waist had done its job for the most part and now held a few odds and ends in its pockets. A pair of pruning snips, gardening gloves, a pen, and a small notebook were among them. 

As he moved closer to Gladiolus the glasses he wore glinted in the failing light, but the green eyes behind them were steely and hard, calculating and cold.

Gladio raised his hands in a sign of peace. “I meant nothing by my words. You know I only come here when there’s a need to. Otherwise I leave you alone as ordered. Did you receive my message earlier?”

Ignis paused a moment at the action, biting back what was probably another barb before picking a piece of paper he’d slipped into the aprons pocket earlier and glancing it over once more.

“I did. I have the medicine ready for the Mardtes family. From your description it sounds like they are suffering from a contaminant in the lungs which is causing the harsh coughing and severe breathing problems. I mixed up a week’s worth for them with specific instructions for them to follow or for one of their doctors to administer. It makes no difference to me which they choose, but the instructions have to be followed either way if they wish to be cured.”

Lowering the letter, Ignis leveled the larger man with a look, eyes narrowed. “This is the fourth case in two months, Gladiolus. I suspect something is out of order out there, and isn’t it your job to figure out what it is?” he asked. “My healing magic can only do so much for these people. It’s a remedy. Finding the source of the problem and stopping it is the cure.”

Gladio took a deep breath, knowing full well that while Ignis’ words were harsh, he was right.

“You don’t think we’ve been trying?” he asked, running a hand through his long hair and shaking his head. “We’ve got another hunt planned for tonight, but until we can find the source of the illness those people need you. You’re the best healer we’ve got.”

“Ah yes, and what fun it is to heal those who have always been _ so _ grateful for our sacrifices,” he shot back, his voice dripping with sarcasm as Gladio frowned all the more.

“You don’t mean that,” the taller man said, taking a step closer. “If you meant it you wouldn’t be helping me now. Wouldn’t be helping those people like you’ve been for the last few years you’ve been here. I… I know it’s been tough…,” Whatever he was about to say died on his lips at the look Ignis shot him, daring him to utter a single word more.

“Stay here while I get the medicine, Gladiolus. Then please leave… and figure out what’s going on so I can be in peace,” he whispered, voice tight as he turned back toward the house once more to retrieve the elixirs.

It was only a few minutes later that Gladio left the way he came, walking back through the enchanted thorn covered fence completely unscathed to deliver the remedies to the afflicted family. His heart was heavy as he made his way back to the nearby town. The friend he had once known so well was lost to pain he could hardly fathom.

For as powerful as Gladio was, he was completely powerless to save his friend, and it was something he loathed more than he could say.


	2. Someone Whispering, Come Near

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis has chosen to build these walls, but one small voice will bring them crashing down.

The warm light of dawn was just breaking over the trees behind Cerinthus Cottage, though the man who lived there had been up for a few hours already. He could be found in the back garden, tending to his work quietly and efficiently in a way he’d done for years.

His days always started earlier than most, a mix of poor sleep and the need to keep busy, a constant drive to keep moving lest the memories of his past drag him back to a place he had been trying to run from far longer than he should’ve. It was easier to run than to face the things that he had locked away in his head and in his heart.

Here and now, standing in his garden planting, picking and pruning he could escape into a world that was entirely his own, that didn’t ask questions or prod into his thoughts. A world he could fall into and that he knew better than anyone in this kingdom.

Sighing as he brought himself out of his ruminations, he carefully began to cover the seeds he’d just planted, whispering a few words as the soil beneath his fingers gave a soft, warm glow. Moving his hands away a few new sprouts could already be seen trying to make their way up and into the world, ready to see their first dawn.

This morning’s to-do list included planting a few extra medicinal herbs that the people of this county had been in desperate need of, of late. In the past few months there had been an influx of oddities rising up here and there, something he was more than willing to ignore had it not been for Gladiolus Amicitia. He’d known the man for years. They had once even attended the same training grounds in Insomnia when they were younger, though his own training had branched off into medicine and healing, a natural path for Earth Mages, who were few and far between. 

Gladiolus had been a natural warrior and was destined for a different path, one closer to the King and Royal Family, something the Amicitia line had done for generations. Though even as their lives had taken two distinct paths they had remained close friends, almost brothers, until the Astrals had decided to look unkindly upon them and throw them into a battle against darkness unlike anything Insomnia had weathered before. It was something the history books would one day call the Blight of Insomnia.

When the chaos had cleared the bonds of brotherhood had been all but shattered, and Ignis withdrew from everything and everyone, though no one could blame him for it.

How could they?

After what he’d done to help thwart the darkness that had threatened so many, the kingdom was willing to give him whatever he wanted. Money? Titles? But he’d only wanted one thing.

To be left alone.

This little used land in Northern Tenebrae had seemed like the least they could do for the man, and they had given him the property outright to use as he wished. Now he cultivated the land and used his magic for his own needs… until a few months ago, when he received his first letter from Gladiolus since before the Blight.

He’d already gotten in a few new rows of feverfew, echinacea and now the goldenseal seeds he’d just encouraged to sprout. These would all come in handy considering the maladies that had been reported, and he was about to begin work on picking a few leaves of chamomile and gingko when he felt a tremor beneath his feet.

Ignis glanced toward the woods that stood just to the back of the small property, a perfect buffer for people wanting to get in as it was thick with brambles, giant tree roots, and foliage that would make anyone struggle. Not to mention he had imbued some of his own personal magic into the area.

Looking into the dense forest almost no light from the rising sun seemed to be permeating into it. The leaves seemed to be staying just as still as he was, the entire area calm and quiet.

Something was wrong.

There was no bird song, no rustle of hooves upon the forest floor, no creak of branches from creatures moving to and fro within the woods.

An uncomfortable feeling prickled at the back of his neck where he stood before something in his chest ached in warning. Blinking rapidly, he looked away from the quiet and foreboding area. 

Wasn’t this Gladiolus’ area of expertise? Odd happenings and weird circumstances? He had learned better than to meddle in things of this nature, hadn’t he? Nothing good could possibly come from straying from his purpose and seeking out whatever was happening beyond the treeline.

With a deep breath he turned back to his work, kneeling down once more to attend to collecting the leaves he needed to continue work on the elixirs and potions that had been requested of him. As the minutes moved on he tried to talk himself out of his presumptions. Perhaps he’d imagined it all? Perhaps he was being paranoid? Reaching forward, his fingertips just brushed against the nearest petals when another tremor rumbled through the ground and it felt as if something screamed at him from the depths of the forest, a message carried through the earth to find him.

The words were simple and terrifying… 

_ ‘Please… please... I don’t want to die...’ _

His tools fell forgotten from his hands as he sprang up from the ground, fumbling to untie the apron around his waist before he was tearing off into the forest, ignoring the rational part of his mind that screamed for him to think before acting.

But this was a visceral and raw reaction, something he couldn’t stop as the message replayed over and over in his head, urging him on into the foreboding woods.

The very magic that flowed through his veins had carried the message to him and could not be ignored, to do so was unfathomable.

Further he raced into the forest, the words continuing to echo through his head growing louder and louder until… silence.

He stood there panting in the middle of a crossways, his heart pounding a mile a minute as he glanced from one path to another, each trail looking as equally untraveled as the first. Resting his hand against the trunk of an old pine, he listened, willing his heart to steady as he closed his eyes and tried to find a trace of the message he’d heard before. Anything… any little sign to let him know…

_ ‘... please… ‘ _

_ ‘I… I want to live…’ _

_ ‘... please...’ _

There. The path to the left.

Ignis turned his attention toward the direction of that plea, trying to move as quickly as he could through the branches, roots, and undergrowth.

Growling in his chest, Ignis couldn’t suppress the words escaping him.

_ “ _ _ Cosán soiléir! _ _ ” _ he ordered, the foliage seeming to move and bend to his will as a path began to clear for him in the direction of the unknown.

It wasn’t until he heard the sharp, metallic scrape of metal being unsheathed ahead of him that he slowed and ducked beside the path, finding cover in a thicket of ferns as he willed his heart to steady and his breathing to calm so he could see without being seen.

It was a blessing that he’d wasted no time in hiding as a body flew down the path he’d just cleared and landed with a resounding thud only about thirty paces from him.

There was no mistaking that the person who had just been so unceremoniously tossed was a young man, perhaps only a few years younger than himself, with a shock of vibrant blond hair that was matted with mud and leaves. His clothes didn’t seem to be faring much better, but Ignis was only able to observe the stranger's appearance for a moment before an unsettling screech echoed down the path from where the young man had just come.

The noise was inhuman, sending a chill up Ignis’s spine and before long the creature made its appearance.

A Yojimbo.

The way its cloaked body slowly moved along the path, one of its grey hands just hovering over its katana, was unsettling.

Ignis had encountered these creatures a few times, especially in search of particular plants that grew near the mouths of caves. If he had to guess, the poor man who was still lying on the ground and trying to struggle his way up must’ve inadvertently entered this daemon's territory.

That same grating, metallic noise began to fill the space once more as the creature slowly unsheathed its weapon again, its soulless eyes focusing on the prone figure of the young man.

The noise must’ve been enough to startle the blond out of the daze he’d been in as he finally managed to struggle up onto his hands and knees, turning to face the monster once more.

“St-stay back! Please! I d-didn’t do anything!” he pleaded, his blue eyes shining with a mix of fear and anguish.

Even from this vantage point Ignis could see that the Yojimbo had already done a number on the man. He was holding his left arm, a deep gash noticeable from here only by the dark patch that was starting to stain his dirty and tattered shirt. His face and cheeks were scraped and cut with small marks, most likely a mix of the Yojimbo’s weaponry as well as the desperate attempt to escape from its wrath.

He watched as the poor stranger struggled to get up. He was obviously weakened from the fighting and something more that he couldn’t identify, but even as the blond finally stood the Yojimbo raised it’s katana and stabbed the point cleanly into the earth.

Dark elemental magic quickly spread out from its mark and spikes of dark energy raced toward its victim.

Ignis watched in horror as the young man wasn’t able to dodge out of the way in time and the spikes erupted underneath him, a scream of pain clawing its way out of his throat before the spikes retreated into the ground once more and he collapsed onto the forest floor.

By no means was Ignis a coward, but in that moment his arms and legs refused to move. Why had he raced in here?! He should’ve tried to summon Gladio or Clarus or… any of the royal guard whose job it was to attend to such matters! Was there still time to do it? Could he honestly leave and make it back in time to find anything more than a corpse?

The Yojimbo drew its katana slowly back out of the earth and began to make its way toward the vulnerable, shaking figure that lay amongst the leaves and undergrowth.

The tip of the katana skimmed along the soil, leaving a small trail of upturned earth in its wake and Ignis could feel the darkness that seeped into the soil from its touch.

Suddenly Ignis heard that message… faint yet resilient, echoing back through the earth.

_ ‘I… don’t want to die….. I don’t want… to die…’ _

_ ‘Please...’ _

_ ‘Please…’ _

_ ************* _

“..... please,” the young man whispered into the forest floor, his blue eyes looking up at the demonic figure that moved forward in an almost grotesque elegance. Perhaps it was the blood loss or one too many hits from its magic, but he could feel the edges of his vision growing fuzzy and dark.

Was this how it was supposed to end for him? Just when he found escape, he found death. He truly was unlucky. Perhaps this was how it was supposed to be?

Closing his eyes he listened to the dulled noises of the daemons footsteps growing closer and closer, the gentle grating of the sword against the ground growing quiet as the blade was lifted.

_ ‘I just wanted to live…,’ _

A shout rang out into the trees, the sound of metal hitting metal and the creaking and cracking of branches were muffled as he slipped further into the darkness of unconsciousness.

The last thing he heard was the voice of a man, shouting words he didn’t understand.

_ “Gaiste fíniúna!” _

_ “Géag lúbtha!” _

_ “Deireadh!” _

And then his world went silent, his body no longer able to fight as he slipped into a quiet oblivion.


	3. Into The Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto wakes to an unfamiliar place and overhears a midnight conversation that hardly sets him at ease.

The first time he woke was to the feeling of heat against his arm, a sharp pain shooting deep into his bones that made him cry out before darkness enveloped his mind once more, leaving him numb to the world around him.

The next time he woke was to find himself being carried. He could feel his body swaying, and the flicker of light and dark moving over his closed eyelids told him he was still under the canopy of the forest. As he struggled to stay awake, those same odd words once again sounded around him. They were still muffled to his mind and he couldn’t grasp anything that was said, but a feeling of safety enveloped him for the first time in a long time. Soon wakefulness became too much, his body shivering a little before he slipped once more into unconsciousness.

There was no telling how much time passed when he woke up again, this time to far more comfort than before. Blinking his eyes open blearily, he was able to make out where exactly he’d ended up.

It was a small bedroom, the bed he currently rested in right next to an open window. A cool night breeze wafting in carried with it the floral scents of flowers that quelled the rising anxiety he felt in his chest. Glancing around the room he noticed a small wardrobe in the corner, and a bookcase full to bursting sat against the far wall. Beside it was a messy desk covered in books, papers and what looked to be a small alchemy set of sorts with something burbling away in one of the vials as it glowed faintly in the dark.

“What were you thinking?!”

The shout echoed from somewhere outside the house, the voice easily making its way in through the open window. The anxiety that had slowly been dissipating from Prompto sprang back with full force.

“Keep your voice down, Gladiolus,” a cool voice shot back, and though the voice was quieter the tone with which it was carried out had him more terrified than the one who had shouted.

“Do you have any idea how absolutely reckless this is? That’s not like you, Ignis!” the first voice, Gladiolus, seemed more than keen to continue his tirade, though his voice was a bit quieter now.

”I wasn’t just going to leave him to die!” the one called Ignis growled back. “What would you have me do? Turn my back on someone in need?”

“No, but I would expect you to use your damn head instead of running off into danger like that!” Gladiolus growled.

“I hardly think you of all people should be the one telling me off for such actions,” Ignis replied, though the even tone he used was dangerous.

“Don’t you dare turn this around on me, Ignis. What happened to you wanting to be left alone, huh? To not wanting to get entangled in other people’s lives? Isn’t everyone else far benea-...,”

“He used  _ óráid nádúir, _ Gladiolus! Nature speech!” Ignis finally shouted, his own voice carrying into the yard and the other man grew silent. “Was I just supposed to ignore it?! Was I supposed to ignore someone speaking to me in my own language?!”

Only more silence followed and for a moment it seemed like nothing more was going to be said.

“Iggy… did you… you couldn’t have thought...,” Gladiolus tried to speak up again, his voice quieter, gentler now.

“Obviously I didn’t think it was him!” Ignis growled back, but there wasn’t anger so much as pain that laced his words. “But… even you know how rare it is for anyone to speak that language. I… I couldn’t ignore it, Gladiolus. I couldn’t ignore him.”

Silence enveloped them once more before Gladiolus spoke.

“You’re sure he’s not a threat?” he asked, voice still far gentler than it had been.

“I never said that,” Ignis said quietly in return, the heat in his voice also having finally fizzled out. “He’s not a threat to us, but… he is a threat. When I was trying to treat his arm in the woods I had to be careful. He unconsciously started to draw on my magic and the walk back here was also interesting, to say the least. I can’t confirm it… but I think he may be a…,”

The growls and yips of a pack of something moving through the woods behind the cottage drowned out Ignis’s words, but the bone chilling noises quickly quieted down. Soon all that could be heard was the sound of rustling leaves in the night wind, danger giving way to an uneasy peace.

“You should head back, Gladiolus. I’ll be fine here, but there’s still something happening out there that’s causing this influx of chaos. The sicknesses and now this? It’s not coincidental. The run-in I had this afternoon is going to be the first of many to come. You had best warn the others and be ready.”

For a moment, no answer was forthcoming, before a quiet sigh could be heard.

“We’re still looking into it, but… your run-in today is something I’m sure Cor will wanna hear about. Are you going to be okay here?” Gladiolus asked, and the voices sounded like they were growing farther and farther away.

“I’ll be fine, Gladiolus,” Ignis said simply, quietly.

“Of course,” Gladio replied, though it felt as if he wanted to say more on the matter.

Sadly, if anything else was said it was missed as a wave of exhaustion washed over the blond, and he felt the pull of sleep begin to take over his body once again. Even so, the conversation he’d overheard continued to play through his head.

_ ‘I couldn’t ignore it… I couldn’t ignore him...’ _

_ ‘Are you sure he’s not a threat?’ _

_ ‘He unconsciously started to draw on my magic… ’ _

_ ‘I think he might be a...’ _

A what?

Monster?

Daemon?

He’d heard them all before, but still his exhausted mind wondered what it was this man had thought of him. His own thoughts carried him into nothingness.

_ Monster, Daemon, ill-fated… what haven’t you been called? Whatever he thinks of you can’t change what you truly are. You are Prompto Argentum.  _

_ A jinx… a curse… and you are destined to only bring pain to those around you. _


	4. Tomorrow's Come With A New Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After waking up a second time it would appear that proper introductions are in order.

Ignis watched Gladio disappear into the veil of thorns and iron at his front gate. With a sigh he let his façade slip, once again left alone with his thoughts without prying eyes to see him.

His hands trembled as he slowly lowered himself down on the front step just outside his front door. Running shaky fingers through his hair, he took in a few deep breaths of the chilled night air, his mind feeling like it was still racing even as danger had passed.

Astrals above, what was happening?

Lowering his hands, he rested his forearms on his knees, trying to get his thoughts straight.

Gladiolus hadn’t been wrong with his remarks earlier.

He had said that he wanted to be left alone. The world they lived in had a hard divide between what was acceptable and what wasn’t, and Ignis fell into that latter category perfectly.

Magic in all its forms was misunderstood and in some spaces even feared. Many people turned a blind eye to it and pretended that odd happenings were explained by changes in the weather, bad luck, or simply nature running its course.

When the Blight of Insomnia had happened, it was dark magic that had threatened everything. Then, after the chaos had quieted, it was all explained away in one way or another.

All the sacrifices they had made for the benefit of others… dismissed as foul weather… a natural disaster.

How could he not loathe a world that was so ungrateful?

He’d vowed that it wouldn’t happen again. That he would turn a blind eye to the issues of others.

Yet even as he spoke the words, he couldn’t turn completely from his nature. He was a healer at heart, so when Gladiolus had sent him that letter all those months ago he couldn’t simply rebuff it. He’d wavered and caved.

And now?

Now here he was, throwing all his barbed and guarded words into the wind because he had to rush into the thick of it and bring back a… a…

He glanced behind him and toward the door leading into the cottage.

It wouldn’t do for him to sit here all night, dwelling on what had happened. The only thing he could do now was move forward.

Standing up with a small groan he made his way back into the cottage, wondering just what the Astrals had in store for him now.

Hadn’t he already given them enough?

\----------------------

The first thing Prompto became aware of was the warmth of the sun on his face, his nose crinkling slightly from the brightness before he turned his head away.

His arms and legs felt like they were made of lead, but he was apparently still lying on the bed he’d woken up in last night if the comfort was anything to go by. It wasn’t his normal cot, that was for sure. The broken spring that had given him countless nights of trouble wasn’t digging into his kidneys, so no… he definitely wasn’t in his normal cot.

Which meant that last night hadn’t been a dream.

He also realized that he had been moved slightly, no longer lying flat out on the bed, and propped up with a few extra pillows behind his back.

As he tried to take stock of himself, the sound of movement in the room refocused his lazy, sleep muddled thoughts. A spike of panic shot through his chest.

Oh gods… someone was in here with him.

The conversation that he’d overheard last night slowly started to resurface, as well as the horrors he’d faced in the forest beforehand.

The Yojimbo...

The katana raised to kill...

Shouting and words he didn’t understand.

Then nothing but darkness until the conversation he’d woken up to.

Was this one of the men from before? If so… was he safe? Or had the Astrals been cruel enough to push him from one danger to the next? 

Deciding to be brave, he barely peeked his eyes open, trying to pinpoint the other man. The first shock of light to his eyes had him closing them instantly once more before trying again. This time, he saw a tall, lithe man standing only a few feet away from him. With his back to him, Prompto couldn’t make out much apart from the fact that he appeared to be dressed well, an almost aristocratic air about him.

The gentleman appeared to be engrossed in something on the desk he’d seen when he’d woken up in the night. He was mixing a few things together in a small vial, and the tinkling of the metal stir stick against the glass was almost soothing.

“Has no one ever told you it’s impolite to stare at others,” the man spoke in a clipped voice, making Prompto jump slightly in bed. Sadly, this was enough to remind him that he’d been thrown around like a ragdoll by a daemon and his body was still mending. Pain scorched through his arm and he sucked in a pained breath as his fingers clenched into the sheets.

He could hear footsteps drawing closer to the bed and when he finally opened his eyes he was able to look at the stranger. It was like looking at a statue. A handsome statue, but a statue nonetheless.

The first thing Prompto noted were his eyes. Though hidden slightly behind his spectacles, they were a vibrant green, unlike anything he’d seen before. Yet for as vibrant as the color was, there felt like there was no warmth there behind them. His expression was absolutely unreadable which only made Prompto feel more unnerved with each passing second that he tried to maintain eye contact.

Swallowing thickly, he attempted to say something, anything, but it felt like every word in the English language had abandoned him.

“S-sorry…,” he finally whispered, voice hoarse as he realized how dry his throat was. Just how long had he really been out? Perhaps what he thought was just one night was actually a week if he felt this off. “A-are… you going to... hurt me?”

If the man was unreadable before, he seemed absolutely guarded now as he leveled Prompto with a stare that was like ice.

“I should think not,” he answered, though his voice didn’t hold quite the same coldness as his eyes. “It would make saving you in the first place a bit redundant, wouldn’t you agree?”

Prompto’s eyes widened at the chastisement, and he went to speak again before quieting as the other man held up his hand.

“You are probably suffering from severe cottonmouth at the moment, so please withhold any more questions until you drink this,” he said simply, as he held up the glass vial Prompto had seen him tinkering with earlier.

Apparently, Prompto’s glance from the vial up to Ignis was enough to convey the blond’s continued unease, causing the spectacled man to sigh heavily. Without preamble, he brought the glass up to his lips and swallowed down a large gulp before lowering it and quirking an eyebrow at him.

“Honey, ginger root and lemon mixed together in boiled water,” he listed off, once more offering the drink to Prompto, who took it with slightly shaking fingers. “It’ll help soothe your throat and stomach.”

Bringing the drink up to his lips, Prompto inhaled the slightly sweet scent of the drink, taking a little sip before spluttering and coughing at the taste that assaulted him.

“And that would be the ulwaat berry vinegar. Adds a bit of zing, but is still completely harmless… in this form,” the man explained as Prompto felt the slight burn against his throat.

However, after a few more sips the burn gave way to a soothing sensation against his throat, and he felt the warmth settling pleasantly in his stomach.

“Th-Thanks… um… Iggy,” Prompto offered, watching as the man who had moved back to the desk stilled instantly.

Worried he’d made a mistake, Prompto quickly tried to amend his words… and quickly realized he couldn’t stop talking. 

“Th-that’s your name, right? I… I heard you and… and someone else talking last night and your voice isn’t quite as deep as his and you have this accent that’s like from around here, but it’s not entirely like from around here. It sounds fancier! Like super fancier, but not too fancy like a king or something an-...,”

“Ignis.”

Prompto paused in his fumbling words, watching the way the other man turned to look at him.

“My name isn’t  _ Iggy. _ That’s an unfortunate moniker that was bestowed upon me. My name... is Ignis. Ignis Scientia,” he explained, his eyes still guarded as Prompto looked at him, but without the coldness from before, regardless of his words.

“Oh,” the blond said with a little nod, licking his lips nervously before taking a deep breath to try again. “Then… thank you, Ignis. I’m… my name’s Prompto. Prompto Argentum.”

He felt his eyelids slowly starting to droop again as the warmth from the drink seemed to soothe him more than he expected.

Moving forward, Ignis carefully took the vial from his hands, the gesture gentler than Prompto was expecting.

Ignis even seemed a bit surprised by his action, and quickly set the glass down on the side table, clearing his throat.

“It’s… nice to meet you, Prompto. And... you’re... welcome,” he said a bit awkwardly, as Prompto seemed to nestle down into the pillows once more.

“S’it okay to sleep again?” he whispered, his eyes already closing.

“Oh… uh… yes. Of course. You’ll need your rest after the Yojimbo attack. The laceration to your arm was rather deep and you lost far too much blood, far too quickly.” As he spoke, he began to move around the room, picking the glass up once more to set it back on the desk as he tidied. “I can only do so much healing magic in emergency situations like that, but I think if we continue with a regime of ulwaat berry tea and…”   
  
As Ignis continued to speak, Prompto slowly felt himself drifting off. When he woke up, he knew there would be more questions between the two of them. He no doubt would need to explain himself eventually, but he allowed sleep to pull him under. For the first time in his life, he was content in the knowledge that he was somewhere well and truly… safe.


	5. I Can't Understand Yet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some things come to light as to the events of the forest when a couple of familiar faces show up at Ignis's door.

“... and a few other things that should… Prompto?” Ignis asked, pausing as he heard a snuffling noise from behind him. Turning around he found the blond had nodded off once more, and while it was somewhat rude, he really couldn’t blame him. The poor man had battled a Yojimbo and then had to fight for his life. Obviously some considerations were to be made, and he would let this slide just this once.

Sighing a bit, Ignis moved forward and brought the blankets up to cover the younger man’s arms. He was still feverish, that much was easy to see by the color still held in his cheeks, but he would definitely make a full recovery.

Until then, he was under Ignis’s care.

After ensuring that Prompto was settled and lying down more comfortably, so as not to add a crick in the neck to his list of ailments, Ignis decided it would be best to simply continue cleaning up the remedy he’d mixed for the man and leave him in peace for the time being. Perhaps then he could continue doing a bit more research as to what he had experienced with the young man out in the wilds of the forest.

Just as he finished putting the last of the vials he’d been using on the tray he’d brought up to his bedroom, he heard a knock on his door and knew instantly who it was.

There was only man in all of Eos whose knock could be akin to a battering ram.

Picking the tray up, he carefully moved out of the room, closing the door almost completely shut behind him before making his way downstairs. The sound of knocking grew louder and Ignis couldn’t help a huff of annoyance from escaping him. He set the tray down on a side table by the door and made his way over.

“If you would be so kind as to give me a moment!” he called out as he finally made it to his front door. Unlatching it, he opened the door, a minor insult prepared on his lips for who he expected to be there, but the words dried up on his tongue as he took in his visitors.

While he’d guessed correctly in Gladiolus being the one at the door, standing directly behind him was a man he hadn’t seen in years. The soldier’s piercing blue eyes made Ignis feel like he was once again a young guard learning the ins and outs of dagger weaponry. It actually took him a moment to find his voice again as, apart from Gladiolus, he had little to no contact with others from his life before the quiet one he’d cultivated here.

“Marshal Leonis,” he offered quietly, nodding his head and glancing to Gladio, who had something akin to an apologetic look in his eyes.

Ignis had worked hard to distance himself from his previous life, only allowing Gladio’s presence here because of their past together. Gladio knew that to bring someone else here with him was not going to be taken kindly. Yet, Ignis knew that something like this was going to happen eventually. Especially as he’d seen fit to rush into the chaos that had slowly been brewing around them all for months now.

“Ignis,” Cor replied solemnly, bringing the mage back to the present. “Gladiolus informed me of the run in you had in the forest, last night. I’m afraid I asked him to bring me so I could hear the story for myself. And to see just what it was that you found.”

There was something in the way the man said ‘_what_’ vs. ‘_who_’ that made something bristle inside of Ignis, his stony exterior instantly locking back into place even as he stepped aside to allow both men entry into his home.

“You know as well as I that a letter would have sufficed,” he said as civily as he could while the two soldiers made their way inside his home. “But seeing as you’ve traveled all this way, far be it for me to decline your company now.”

“Easy, Iggy,” Gladio whispered in passing, just quiet enough for him to hear and try to remind him that they weren’t his enemy. They were here to try and help in whatever capacity they could. He had to remember that. He had to remember that there was something far darker and more dangerous happening out there, and he only had himself to blame for running into the thick of it.

As Cor entered, Ignis closed the door behind them and took a deep breath, trying to quell the anger that had flickered up inside of him at this intrusion of his privacy. This wasn’t just about Cor coming to check on what had happened in the forest. No doubt he’d been waiting for a chance to come to this place to check up on  _ him. _

He’d managed all those years ago, and he was managing now. There was nothing for Cor to concern himself with any longer.

“Why don’t we go into the kitchen?” Ignis offered after a moment, turning to lead the way. He paused as he noticed Cors eyes falling on the tray of vials he’d left on the hallway side table. Gladio had already begun to move into the other room when Ignis cleared his throat. “Or was your real reason for visiting to check up on the cleanliness of my home?”

Cors eyes instantly snapped back over to Ignis. He said nothing, but the look that Ignis was leveled with was more than enough for him to feel a chill in his bones he hadn’t felt since his first meeting with the Marshal.

“Hardly. Though I notice that the particular mix you’ve made isn’t one I’ve seen before,” Cor said simply as he started to make his way into the kitchen behind Gladiolus. As the man began to move away, Ignis followed him into the small yet tidy kitchen. “It’s… nice to know you’re continuing on with your research, then.”

“Obviously, I am. I’m not merely here on an extended vacation,” Ignis snipped back, the tone making both soldiers pause before turning to look back at the mage.

“You know that’s not what he meant, Iggy,” Gladio tried to reason gently, but Cor held up his hand, his eyes locked on Ignis’s own.

“I understand that the last thing you wanted was more outside visitors. I also understand that you want to be left alone after everything that happened, but don’t you think you’ve done enough running away? Do you really think this is what Ulric…,”

A pulse vibrated through the cottage as Cor said that name, the floorboards creaking and the glass of the windows rattling with the thrum of magic filling the air. A nerve had been touched upon that was still tender and raw even after all these years, but perhaps that was the point. It only confirmed that the man wasn’t just here to discuss what he’d seen in the forest.

Ignis stood with his hands clenched into fists at his sides, his jaw set and eyes narrowed at the Marshal. The man was moving the conversation into dangerous territory and the last thing Ignis wanted to do was talk about it, hear about it, remember it.

“Don’t,” Ignis warned, his voice feeling tight with a mix of emotions. “Don’t you dare use him as an argument for your side.”

Cor brought his hands up in a sign of peace, taking a step back from Ignis to show he meant no harm. Regardless of the gesture, Ignis could see that he still had more he wanted to say.

As the Marshal opened his mouth to speak, a loud thud from the hallway brought everyone’s attention away from the impending argument. The noise was so sudden that Ignis' focus had been broken, the magic that had built up around him dissipating in an instant and leaving the cottage quiet once more.

Or… as quiet as a cottage could be with three full grown men bustling into the hallway to investigate an odd noise. It would’ve been almost comical to see if it hadn’t been for what they found.

Blinking up at all three men from the base of the stairwell lay Prompto, his eyes wide and his body trembling as he apparently took in not only Ignis, but the two rather large and intimidating men here now, as well.

“I… I’m sorry!” he instantly apologized, his voice pitched high, even as he remained huddled on the floor. “I… I don’t know wh-why I’m down here! I don’t… I just remember nodding off and then… I felt… in my chest this… pull. I… I’m sorry!”

There it was again. The apology. Something deep inside of Ignis’s chest constricted as he heard it, and he carefully approached the younger man. Even at the pace he was moving, it seemed to be too much for the poor blond, who seemed to curl in on himself all the more.

Ignis knew he could be an imposing figure, and really, in the throes of a panic attack, or at least on the cusp of one, he doubted that it made him look any less scary, so he slowly lowered himself a few paces from the other man. “There is nothing to apologize for, Prompto,” he offered as gently as he could, though even he could tell he was out of practice with offering reassurances in a proper manner.

Prompto’s full-body shiver could attest to that, as if he felt Ignis was lying to him.

Taking a deep breath, the mage tried again, his green eyes catching the gaze of terrified blue ones.

“If anything, I should be apologizing. It was my temper that caused you to react in such a way,” he said quietly.

Prompto’s eyes widened marginally, which was a feat in itself, as he got the apology, and Ignis wondered if the man had ever heard one before. At least one that hadn’t passed through his own lips. Regardless, Ignis considered it a small victory, as his apology was enough of a shock to apparently help quell the fear steadily rising in the young man.

“I… I still don’t u-understand…,” Prompto whispered and Ignis knew that, much like the apologies, this wasn’t the first time those words had been uttered.

“This has happened to you before… hasn’t it, Prompto?” he said quietly, watching the blond swallow thickly. “You’ve felt this pull… this need to be somewhere, and you don’t understand how you got there. Waking up and feeling drained? Or finding things manifested in a way you can’t explain.”

The more Ignis spoke, the more Prompto’s breathing seemed to grow ragged.

“How? H-How… do you...,?”

“I know because I know what you are,” Ignis said quietly. Apparently, whatever research he had planned was null and void now. This small display mixed with what he’d experienced in the forest more than solidified what he had been expecting to conclude. “I can explain everything better once you calm down. Can you take a few deep breaths for me, Prompto? In… and out.”

As he instructed him, he took in a deep breath himself before slowly letting it out, watching as Prompto tried to match his breaths.

Slowly but surely, he watched as Prompto was able to get his breathing under control, the fear still evident in his features, though not as strong as before. His eyes flickered once more over to Cor and Gladiolus, and Ignis shook his head.

“I can assure you, the men behind me are not here to harm you,” Ignis said simply. “As I said before, if I meant you harm, then risking my life in the forest to save you would’ve been a waste of my time and energy, and I am not so flippant with either.” Slowly standing once more, he kept his eyes on the younger man and noted that while he was still tense, he appeared to be taking his words to heart. 

Slowly, he moved forward and once close enough, carefully helped Prompto to stand once more, his arm wrapping around the smaller man's waist as he tried to be mindful of his still mending arm. “Let's get you into the kitchen and sitting before you collapse on us again.”

He could see the way Prompto looked at him, a question buzzing through him that Ignis could practically feel.

_ He knows what I am! What am I? _

“Once we get you settled, I’ll explain everything,” he said simply before looking to Gladio and Cor, who still stood stock still in the entryway of the kitchen. Huffing slightly, he began to make his way and shook his head

“This is why I don’t like visitors. They cause nothing but trouble.”


	6. Within This World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After learning more about himself, the next question is how best to keep Prompto safe? Ignis may have a few ideas.

It wasn’t long before they all made it into the kitchen, Ignis helping to get Prompto situated at the small kitchen table before moving to check the bandages on the younger man’s left arm. Gladio had moved around to the far side of the table and taken a seat as well, across from Prompto. Cor remained standing, leaning back slightly against one of Ignis’s counters as he watched the man checking over the blond.

“I-I’m fine. Really!” Prompto tried to offer, feeling like a spectacle at this point with all eyes on him. He still felt uneasy at the attention, unused to it after so long of being ignored or forgotten. While there were days where he’d craved some sort of acknowledgement, this was definitely  _ not _ what he had been hoping for. Yet when did his hopes ever come to fruition?

He was brought back to the moment as his arm throbbed horribly from the tumble down the steps. Even so, all he could really focus on was the man beside him, looking over his arm.

“You’re not. If you were fine, you wouldn’t be shaking like a leaf and your fever wouldn’t have gone up,” Ignis pointed out simply, making Prompto flush slightly. “Though to be fair, this extra strain you’re going through is my fault. I shouldn’t have let my temper get the better of me. And… knowing what I do, I should’ve known to be more careful with my magic around you.”

“But why?” Prompto asked quietly, biting his lower lip. “You said… you knew what I was. What… what am I? Why… why does this keep happening? I’ve been called everything from a curse to a daemon, a jinx to a bad omen. I don’t understand what happens to me, so please… what am I?”

The pure desperation that came from that question made Ignis' chest tighten in a way that he hated. However, he had promised Prompto that he would explain all he knew, and for better or worse, the young man deserved to know the truth about himself.

“Prompto. You are what is known in the magical world as a 'sleigh beggy',” Ignis began to explain as he took a seat at the table as well, his eyes focused on the younger man before him. “The easiest way to explain it is that… you’re like a magical battery. You are drawn to magical power, and you take and store it within yourself. Apparently unknowingly, as you demonstrated by crashing down my stairs when my magic spiked in my anger.”

“Wait… I’m… a battery?” Prompto asked, perhaps a bit uncertain, as if this was some kind of joke being played on him. But a look around the room, at the serious expressions leveled at him, made him second guess himself.. “You… you also mentioned the… the way things just sort of appear around me. If I’m just a battery… how does… how can that happen?”

Ignis nodded at that, leaning back in his chair as he considered how best to explain.

“Being a battery or harnesser of magic as you are, sometimes the influx of magic becomes too much. When this happens, manifestations, the creation of something new out of nothing, seems to occur around you. Considering that you were unknowingly doing all this to begin with, I can only assume that some sort of trigger occurred outside of yourself that would cause you to create like this. With enough raw, magic power, there is nothing stopping you from creating or destroying in that moment.”

Prompto couldn’t fathom it. Couldn’t comprehend the idea that he was capable of such things as simply unleashing magic like this into the world.

“You also mentioned the rather… unflattering names that you have been given,” Ignis mentioned a moment later, drawing Prompto’s gaze back up to him, a flush appearing over his cheeks before he dropped his head a bit.

“Yeah. 'Jinx' seemed to be a favorite. As did 'daemon',” the blond admitted, picking a bit at his trousers.

Ignis frowned a bit at this, Gladio even seeming to shift a bit uncomfortably where he sat.

“Well… I can assure you that it’s not you… per say,” Ignis tried to explain, running a hand through his hair. “With all that raw magical power inside you… you are also a bit of a beacon for magical creatures. Fae, spirits, daemons… they are all drawn to you and as such, they cause chaos around you. Broken items, missing things, bad luck, or at least the perceived experience of bad luck, is due to them being drawn to you and possibly trying to be helpful in their own… unhelpful ways.”

Prompto’s head snapped back up as he heard that, and he winced at the quick movement, bringing his good hand up to rub at his temple.

“So… not only am I some sort of… battery pack of magic, but… I’m also unable to realize what I’m doing, when it happens,  _ and _ there are magical creatures out there drawn to me like moths to a flame who have been making my life a living hell for years?” he said, looking back up at Ignis, who had a slightly contemplative look on his face.

“That  _ is _ about the gist of it,” the mage admitted with a little nod, watching as Prompto groaned and dropped his head onto the table with a thunk.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…,” he mumbled against the wood, closing his eyes as the coolness of the table seemed to help with the heat in his head. Turning his head, he peeked up at a slightly unsure looking Ignis. “Is that why the Yojimbo came after me? He was drawn to me being the world’s unluckiest battery?”

Ignis opened his mouth to answer, but Gladio was the first to speak up.

“No. They’re just dicks,” he said simply, giving a little shrug.

This was the first time he’d heard the big guy speak, and Prompto instantly sat up. However, as the words finally processed through his head, he couldn’t suppress a little chuckle at it, bringing his hand up to muffle the noise. Though Gladio seemed to be pleased as punch that he’d gotten such a reaction.

A deep sigh drew his attention back to Ignis, the man giving Gladio an unamused look before turning back to Prompto.

“I hate to admit it, but he’s right. The Yojimbo attack was not due to you being a sleigh beggy. Rather, it was a case of wrong time, wrong place. They are incredibly territorial creatures. I’ve encountered them a handful of times looking for various ingredients.”

Prompto gave a little nod at that. “I… I was trying to set up a small camp in a cave in the forest. It was probably his home and I sort of… trespassed. I’ve been in the area for a couple weeks and I thought… somewhere out of everyone’s way would be safer.”

“Yes, well… even if you’d merely been walking within a five mile radius, it would’ve felt infiltrated upon. As I said: highly territorial creatures, not easily dealt with,” Ignis said with a nod.

“Uh… then… how did you deal with it?” Prompto asked after a moment. This guy didn’t exactly seem like the fighter type. He seemed more like the… grumpy librarian type if he was being honest.

The look he received for his comment was one that made him instantly zip his mouth shut.

“I have my ways,” Ignis said quietly. However, he seemed more intent on changing the subject than lingering on what he’d done in the forest. “Now, as jumbled as it was, you have the story of what happened in there, Marshal.”

Prompto looked to the man who’d been quietly watching him during this conversation, deciding instantly that his piercing blue eyes were at least ten times more terrifying than Ignis’s cold green ones.

“Yes. It appears it was a case of wrong place, wrong time, as you said. Though the fact that a Yojimbo had taken up such close residence to people is out of the norm. While not peaceful creatures, if they can avoid conflict, they will,” Cor stated as he pushed himself away from the counter.

Gladio gave a little nod at that before glancing to Ignis. “Do you think... maybe Prompto’s abilities are what have been causing the chaos here recently?”

“No. As Prompto said, he’s only been in the area for a couple of weeks. We’ve been dealing with this problem for months now. Whatever is bringing forth all of these creatures, I don’t believe it has anything to do with Prompto’s capabilities,” Ignis stated simply. “Something else is bringing forth this darkness and chaos. One sleigh beggy isn’t going to be able to cause this. There is a bigger catalyst out there. We just have to figure out what it is.”

Cor nodded in agreement, looking out the window and into Ignis’ back garden. “Ignis is right, Gladio. Something else is causing this. But… until we can pinpoint exactly what that is… I think it would be safest if Prompto stays here.”

“What?!” Prompto squeaked, flushing up again as all three men turned their attention back onto him. “I-I mean… I can’t do that! I’m… I’ll just bring you trouble! That’s all I do and I can’t… not after you’ve helped me.”

Ignis quirked an eyebrow at this and shook his head. “Cor is right, Prompto. I won’t pry into your affairs, but it seems that you have nowhere to go anyways, and you’re still healing from the attack. As much as I prefer my peace, I can’t in good conscience just throw you to the proverbial wolves,” he said honestly.

Prompto bit his lower lip as he heard this, realizing that the man was right. He really did have nowhere to go and… the idea of facing down another of those monsters or any other things that lurked out there was enough to make him shiver. Though that might’ve been from the fever as well.

“I-If… if you’re sure,” he said quietly.

“Make no mistake,” Ignis said simply, “... once you are feeling better you can earn your keep here until this trouble has been sorted. Then you’re free to go off and do as you wish. I won’t stop you.”

“Nice bedside manner, Iggy,” Gladio mumbled, earning him a glare from the other man, but Prompto only smiled.

“No, no! That’s perfectly fine! I… I wouldn’t feel right just… staying here. If I can help, I will,” he said with a nod, another shiver running through his body.

Ignis apparently didn’t miss the movement, and before long he was standing and pushing his chair in. “I think it’s best if I get Prompto back up to the bedroom to rest,” he explained, and before long, Prompto found himself being helped back up by Ignis. The man’s arm was once more around his waist as his legs felt like jelly beneath him.

Cor and Gladio followed behind, pausing just before the front door.

“If we find out anything else, we’ll contact you,” Cor said simply, turning to Ignis once more. “And I hope that, should you notice or find out anything else, you’ll return the courtesy.”

Ignis had turned to look at the Marshal, offering him a little nod, though his expression was unreadable.

“Regardless of what you thought my intentions were in coming here today… it was good to see you, Ignis. If you need anything… let me know.”

There was a momentary pause between them, Prompto noting the unease that seemed to settle thickly in the quiet that followed.

Something had happened here, but it wasn’t his place to pry. Judging from the look Gladio was giving the two men, it probably was safer not to.

“I... ,” Ignis began, his voice momentarily less cold as he seemed to search for the appropriate answer. “I’m fine, Cor. But… thank you.”

The fact that Gladio’s eyes had gone the size of saucers told Prompto that this was definitely not the answer he’d been expecting, but the little twitch at the corner of Cor's mouth had him realizing that it was at least a good thing.

“Now. If you’ll excuse me, I need to make sure Prompto’s fever doesn’t get any worse. I trust you can show yourselves out?”

And just like that, the mask of indifference was back, but Cor gave a little nod, turning and clapping Gladio on the shoulder to get him to move with him. “Yeah, yeah. Come on, Gladio,” he said, Prompto watching the larger man break out of his surprise and follow the older man out of the house.

As they made their way up the stairs, a part of Prompto’s mind wondered if all of this was a fever dream. Was this really happening? Was he actually a magical battery pack? Did he really have such innate abilities that he was unable to control? What did that mean for him now that he knew about it? Did it mean anything at all?

Even as they walked and these questions whirled around in his head, the exhaustion in his body slowly began to take over. By the time Ignis had helped him to settle onto the bed, he was out like a light.

His worries, for a moment, forgotten in lieu of a dreamless rest.


	7. I Just Need To Believe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Ignis and Prompto slowly begin to learn about one another and open up, a little light is brought into their lives. Something neither ever expected nor thought they could possibly deserve.

In the following week of Prompto’s arrival to the small cottage, Ignis’s life felt like it had momentarily been turned upside down. Going from living a reclusive lifestyle to having to look after someone you had just saved randomly in a forest would have that effect on you. However, with a few proper meals in him and a rigid medical schedule, Prompto came back from the Yojimbo attack with only a few scars to remind him of his adventure in the forest.

During this time, he also was able to glean that Prompto had packed a small satchel with some goods and personal effects in them when he’d set off into the forest. Currently, they still resided in the cave of the deceased Yojimbo, but considering that each passing day brought with it more news of dark figures lurking around and maladies spiking up here and there, no one was entirely keen to go in search of such items. 

Thus, Ignis’s next line of business had been gathering items to make the man's stay a bit more comfortable in the cottage. With the help of Gladiolus, he was able to get some new clothes, shoes, and a few other goods for Prompto, for which the young man had been more than grateful and a little shocked.

It was… quite the experience learning to live with another person… again. Especially when neither occupant was entirely sure how to interact with the other and neither wanted to divulge too much personal information to someone they had just met. At least not just yet.

The barebones story he had gotten from Prompto as to why he had been in the forest in the first place was that he was trying to get away from a poor situation. It didn’t pass Ignis by that the blond had only managed to find himself in what he would’ve considered worse trouble. However, if Prompto was more keen to take his chances in an unfamiliar forest than stay at his current residence, then it spoke leaps and bounds as to what he was running from.

Ignis hadn’t pressed further than that. He wanted to remain distant in some way.

It didn’t bode well to care for others. It could only lead to hurt in the end.

Now, almost two weeks later, Ignis sat in his study, a few books open over his desk and a pen in hand as he worked out new formulas he’d been concocting involving blackberries and goldenseal leaves. If he was correct, then this particular mixture would do wonders for those suffering from severe headaches and mild nausea.

It was a welcome endeavor to get lost in his work once more, considering all that had taken place, but sadly, Ignis’s quiet Sunday was soon interrupted by what sounded like a mini explosion and a yelp coming from outside his window facing the back garden.

It was a noise he’d become accustomed to within the last few days, as well.

With a sigh, he pushed his seat back from his desk and got up, making his way over to the second floor window and glancing outside to find the cause of the chaos.

Sure enough, sat under the maple in the back corner was Prompto. His cheeks and hair looked a little soot singed as a few vials and ingredients lay before him. He was mumbling to himself and looking over a small book that Ignis had given him a few days ago, a still trembling and smoking vial of something sat before him.

“At least it wasn’t the sofa again,” Ignis whispered to himself.

\-----------------------------------

In the days that followed Gladio and Cor’s visit, Prompto, true to his word, had set about trying to help Ignis in anyway possible as he recovered.

The only problem was that now Ignis was able to witness and experience first hand the sort of bad luck that Prompto had mentioned earlier on.

Making breakfast? Chaos.

Tidying up the laundry? Chaos.

An attempt at window cleaning? Complete and utter chaos.

Ignis was beginning to wonder if there was anything the man could do that wouldn’t lead to a life or death situation. 

Then one day, he’d let his thoughts wander a bit as he worked in his garden, both of them having to vacate the cottage for a time as a certain sleigh beggy had tried to make scrambled eggs on toast.

Ignis had loved that frying pan too.

Sighing to himself as he mulled over what was to happen next, he glanced over and caught sight of Prompto. 

Watching the way the blond moved around the space, he could see how the tension in Prompto’s shoulders seemed to ease. The younger man’s fingers would reach out carefully, tracing gently over the petals and leaves of flowers and trees he passed. After a moment, he began to hear Prompto, but just as it had happened a few weeks ago, the words seemed to move through the earth rather than the air. Ignis sensed his thoughts and murmurs rather than heard them.

Nature speech.

_ “Tá tú go hálainn,” _ he murmured to a few morning glories that were budding along the eastern wall of hedges, their vines holding fast and strong to the thicket.

_ “Iontach,”  _ he breathed as he passed under the tall and old maple that stood like a sentinel in the far corner, his palm resting against its trunk as he smiled up into the branches, the light coming through the leaves dappling Prompto’s cheeks in soft greens as the wind tousled his hair.  _ “Fan láidir.” _

_ You are so beautiful. _

_ Amazing. _

_ Stay strong. _

As Ignis listened to him, a familiar ache appeared in his chest, his breath catching if only for a moment. However… there was something in those words that even though they seemed to rekindle an old pain, they also brought forth something new. Like a sprout making its way through ash.

It took him a moment to find his voice, but once found, he called the younger man over to him..

“Do you realize what you were just doing?” he’d asked, Prompto mistaking the slight tightness of his voice for something else and wincing.

“N-no… I… I’m sorry. I was just…,” he’d stuttered, but Ignis had raised a hand to silence him.

“As you are aware now, you hold the magical capabilities associated with being a sleigh beggy. But… I believe that you also hold other powers, Prompto. Ones that… I think if cultivated properly… would be absolutely beneficial to you,” he’d explained, glancing at the burnt frying pan sitting outside on the back step, still smoldering. “And to the house in general. It’ll give you something to work on, as well as help me. What do you say?”

\----------------------

That was how they found themselves in this moment.

“Prompto…,” Ignis called down to the blond, watching as he inadvertently startled the poor man into dropping his book into his lap. “,...did you add the Malmashroom extract to the steeped Aegir root?”

“Yeah!”

“You recall that I told you  _ not _ to do that, correct? Otherwise it creates a chemical reaction?”

“...... yeah?”

Ignis found himself having to bite back a smile as he heard that particular answer, watching as Prompto slowly tried to shift the still bubbling vial behind him, the smoke still slowly rising out of the glass.

“Ah. That’s good to hear. Carry on then,” he said, making to turn away before pausing. “By the way you have a little something… here.” Using his whole hand he gestured to the entirety of his face, watching as Prompto brought his own hands up to touch his cheeks.

“Oh come on!”

This time Ignis did smile, turning back into his study to go and continue his work, his chest feeling oddly… light.

If only for a moment.

\--------------------

From his seat under the maple, Prompto watched as Ignis moved away from the window, his cheeks feeling a bit warm at having been caught mucking up another experiment. However, a smile had somehow managed to make its way onto his lips. Bringing his sleeve up to wipe away some of the soot on his cheek, he paused before it could touch his face, looking down at the red fabric and lowering his arm. His hand smoothed over the knitted fabric and he gave a little sigh as he glanced around the fragrant and beautiful garden.

In the days that followed his rescue and recovery, Prompto had been more than positive that once he was able to walk normally, he would be pushed out the front gates faster than you could say ‘Chocobo’.

But that hadn’t been the case.

On the contrary.

True to his word, Ignis had allowed him to stay and find refuge without so much as a second thought, regardless of how detached and cold his facade seemed to show. Not just that, the man had actually gone out of his way to get him clothing when he’d found out that his own backpack had been lost in the forest after the attack.

Prompto had been so dumbstruck by the gesture that he had wanted to make sure he kept his word as well, and as soon as he’d been able to, he’d started trying to be helpful in anyway possible.

Sadly, this had not quite turned out how he had planned.

He’d started to find little ways to try and help, but most of those attempts had ended up with him almost catching fire to himself, to Ignis, or to the cottage. Still, it felt like with each passing day he was getting to know the man more and more, and being allowed in a little at a time.

Something told him that this surprised Ignis as much as it did himself.

He’d started to notice that, although guarded, Ignis wasn’t someone that needed to be feared. Prompto had met enough of those types of people to know the difference. Ignis was… hurting. It was something that seemed to emanate from the man, but nothing that he ever mentioned. But… when people were hurt like this, they wouldn’t, would they? Who would want to comment on something that made you want to hide away?

Considering that Ignis had been more than kind enough in his own way to not pry into his past, Prompto offered him the same kindness. Did he remain curious? Of course! The man was an enigma to him and he always found some way to make his curiosity grow with each day. It felt like, in a way, Ignis was just like this garden, hidden away behind thorns where no one dared to reach.

Yet, there was something about the man that still made Prompto want to throw caution to the wind, if only because he thought somehow, it might help Ignis from hurting. But this was something he kept to himself and refused to act upon. At least not yet, and not after everything Ignis had done for him. For now, he would simply try to do his part in being a good tenant to this cottage. And while his cooking and cleaning endeavors had failed in accomplishing that, Ignis had found another way for him to help.

The mage had started to teach him a bit about earth magic. Apparently, not only was he a sleigh beggy harnessing magical powers from wherever he could, he also had an innate ability with nature magic.

This is what currently found him in the back garden, covered in soot with an alchemy book in his lap and various ingredients and vials spread out before him.

The book he was reading was filled to the brim with Ignis’s own recipes for tonics, elixirs and potions. It was something that Prompto had actually come to cherish, because there were moments in the book where he would glimpse a bit of a past Ignis. One that wasn’t barbed or tried to keep his distance.

He knew the man had no reason to open up to a complete stranger, but it was still nice to get to quell some of the curiosity of the man through his own writing.

‘ _ Make sure to add two drops of Anak gland oil to the crushed beetroot and lavender mixture. No more. No less. Remember what happened last time. Gladio’s hair stayed purple for a week. _ ’

When Prompto had read that particular passage, he had to cover his mouth to keep Ignis from hearing his ridiculous laughter. Gods. There was no way that Ignis remembered that these little anecdotes were in here, otherwise he was sure he wouldn’t have been given free reign to read it. But that hadn’t been the last of it. There had been a few more gems that had brought some insight into this mystery of a man.

_ ‘Ulwaat berries are in fact red with a sweet smell when they are ready for harvest. IF harvested while still green or with a tangy smell, you will find a diuretic like no other.’ _

_ ‘Gloves are to be worn at ALL times when handling funguar in large quantities. Sleeping properties can still be obtained without eating them as the secretions get into the skin. Went to do a stock count and woke four hours later nestled in the mulch pile. Remember this, Scientia.’ _

_ ‘Reminder… when making the throat tonic for his Majesty: DO NOT add in goldenseal. Flatulence and important document signings do NOT go hand in hand. Nyx had a field day.’ _

That was a name that popped up a few times in this book. So while he was able to garner some sort of insight, new questions continued to pop up.

However, that was for him to ponder on and to never ask. It wasn’t his place to, and if so, there was a chance this book would find its way back to a shelf he’d never be able to get it from again.

With a little sigh, he looked over his only slightly smoldering vial and gathered up the ingredients once more, turning to the page he’d been on and reading from past Ignis on what to do. For the first time in what felt like forever, his chest felt… light.

If only for a moment.


	8. I Must Learn This Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As they continue to get to know one another a few insights and a little apprenticeship may be exactly what the healer ordered.

“Okay… so just a dash of… or was it a pinch?” Prompto whispered to himself, chewing on his lower lip slightly as he glanced over a few notes that he had been doing.

It had been a few days since the mini explosion in the back garden, and Prompto had continued to try and improve in any way that he could. If he stayed up at night to read over the books and notes that Ignis offered, then Ignis was kind enough not to say anything. Or comment on the light that seeped out from under the guest bedroom door where he had temporarily put Prompto up in.

Currently, both men were sitting in the small living room, a fire built up in the hearth to help keep a bit of the chill out of the cottage. Ignis was just reading over some correspondence between himself and Gladio, getting a bit of new intel on their endeavors to find the cause for the continued incline in dark energy.

Ignis glanced up from the letter, looking over to the sofa across from his chair where Prompto was currently tucked into a corner.

He had a pencil in hand and seemed to be quizzing himself over some of the measurements Ignis had been slowly teaching him about over the last few days.

It was a few simple tonics. Some to cure coughs. A few to cure headaches. The hardest one he had set forth was the one for helping to cure a nosebleed and considering how accident prone the poor boy was, Ignis thought perhaps this would be one worth him taking a crack at.

Judging from his furrowed brow it had to be that particular recipe he was working on.

“It’s a dash,” Ignis murmured, looking back to the letter in front of him and missing the way Prompto jumped a bit and glanced over to him.

“O-oh. Oh right! Yeah… because ‘ _ If there’s blood or a gash, the measurements a dash _ ’,” he recited and Ignis’s couldn’t help a small smile appearing as he heard that.

“I’m glad that particular phrase has seemed to stick with you,” he said with a little sparkle of amusement in his eyes as he set the letter aside for now. There had been only a few new developments, but nothing worth note that Gladio could elaborate on. For now, he merely had a few more requests from local villages for some elixirs to help with the increase in maladies. It was going to be another late night at this rate, and Ignis brought his hands up to his face, slipping his fingers under his glasses to rub at his eyes and pushing the frames up his forehead in the process.

Glancing over, Prompto noted the slightly weary look, and after a moment of hesitation he set his book aside.

“Everything alright?” he asked softly, watching as Ignis slowly lowered his hands once more and gave a little nod.

“As well as it can be, I suppose. There is just another round of elixirs needed for tomorrow. It’s going to be a late night and probably an early morning, by the looks of it,” he said with a glance toward the letter.

Nodding as he heard this, Prompto fidgeted slightly and sat up a little straighter.

“I… I mean… if you want… I can try and  _ actually _ help you this time?” he offered. So far, he’d been merely learning and observing, gleaning what he could off of Ignis without being a nuisance if possible. But Ignis really did seem keen on teaching him, and while he was one of the most strict teachers he’d ever met, he really did feel like he was making progress.

“That is a kind offer, but I don’t think…,” Ignis began, before instantly being cut off by Prompto’s enthusiasm and the younger mans need to help.

“I promise I can do this! I haven’t made anything explode in three days, and I now know the difference between malmashroom and aegir root  _ and _ you even said that my headache potion was close to perfect!”

“I said it would probably not kill a man on sight,” Ignis corrected, fighting a smile. Something he found himself doing more these days.

“You know what I hear in that statement?  _ Progress _ ,” Prompto offered, his own smile breaking out over his features, before softening somewhat. “I can help you, Iggy… uh… Ignis. Sorry.”

Prompto ducked his head a little as he used the nickname he’d been corrected on a number of times now, and Ignis found himself giving a little sigh at seeing the man looking so apologetic about such a small thing.

“It’s alright. I fear your first impressions of me are going to stick, no thanks to Gladiolus. So… don’t worry about calling me that particular nickname,” Ignis offered, hoping to reassure. An odd feeling, as he hadn’t felt the need to worry or care how others felt in a rather long time.

He also felt odd in the warmth that creeped into his chest upon seeing the smile his reassurances caused in the blond.

“Thanks, Iggy! And really just… thanks… for everything,” he said honestly. “If… if it wasn’t for you…,”

“None of that,” Ignis instantly said, holding up a hand, but his expression was still relaxed and not the cold facade he tended to favor. “As I’ve said before… you have nothing to thank me for. Any decent person would’ve gone to help in the forest.”

Prompto had closed his mouth as he listened, but he nodded. Granted, Prompto hadn’t really met many decent people before, so to think that this had actually happened, that someone had showed up and now he was living a life where he was treated so kindly… it was all still so bizarre. However, as they were on the subject, Prompto wondered if perhaps he might be able to get away with asking a few questions that were still nothing more than blank spaces in his memory.

“Well, still. Thank you. I do have to admit… there are moments from that day that I.. I wish I could understand better,” he said quietly, trying to slowly segue into the topic. “Like… I remember the Yojimbo… and then just… you shouting and… I-I know you’ve mentioned nature speech before, but… I don’t really understand and…,”

Ignis could see Prompto starting to flounder a bit the more he spoke. The man was obviously working up to ask him a question, and while he was reticent in elaborating too much on himself, he supposed he did owe him at least a clearer picture on a few things.

“I fear that I’ve done you a disservice, in a way, Prompto,” he began, making the other man pause and glance his way. “I can give you a bit more insight into what I am… and to a greater extent what happened that day in the forest.”

Prompto felt his jaw drop slightly, not having believed he’d succeed in getting any answers tonight in any shape or form.

Nodding instantly, his smile only grew and he found himself pulling a throw pillow closer to hug to his chest as he nestled down more into the cushions of the sofa. “I’d love to hear whatever you can tell me, Iggy!”

Ignis watched as Prompto settled into a comfortable spot, looking for all the world like a cozy and nesting Chocobo with his shock of messy, blonde hair adding to the effect.

“Well. To start, I am an earth mage. That I’m sure you heard me mention before, but what it means is that I draw my power from the earth and nature, and in return can use it at will. There’s always exceptions to that rule, as in most magic, but the basics are that the earth gives me power, and thus I can control and use nature for many purposes. I choose to use it for healing and medicinal endeavors.”

“I’ve seen what you can create,” Prompto admitted. “You’re like… ridiculously precise, but i-in a good way! And you always seem to know just which plant to go to and how much and all sorts of… stuff. Okay, I’m gonna shut up now. Please continue.”

Ignis merely gave a smile and continued on, finding Prompto’s enthusiasm rather endearing in its own way. “I’m glad you think so. When it comes to earth magic there are many different levels to it. Ranging anywhere from being able to control what is around you to simply being a very,  _ very  _ good gardner. Thanks to my training, I have been able to hone my craft. I am now considered one of the top mages in this particular field.”

Prompto swore he saw what could only be described as honest to gods  _ pride _ flicker in Ignis’s eyes at the comment, but all too soon it was gone as he continued on with his story.

“Something all earth mages share, however, is nature speech. The ability to commune with the living things around you. It’s also nifty if you have to send a secret message or send something quickly over a long distance. Granted, only another earth mage will pick up on it, and considering how few and far between we are, you’re lucky if it happens.”

“I was very lucky,” Prompto whispered, giving a little smile.

“Yes. You were. Especially considering that you don’t seem to notice when you do it. It’s almost… a reflex, and I think the fear you felt triggered it. It’s what led me to you,” Ignis explained, thinking back to the day in the forest. “When I arrived you had just been tossed through the undergrowth and the Yojimbo was coming toward you. I was able to use my magic to get the vines, branches and roots to answer me. The forest helped in saving you that day just as much as I did. It must like you, and I can promise it’s a very temperamental place.”

Prompto’s eyes widened as he heard that and he blinked owlishly. “You… you mean you can… make nature do things? Like… fight stuff?”

Ignis furrowed his brow a bit in thought before nodding. “I suppose you can say that. I can’t make a tree start dancing the jig, but I can use my magic to make it move or…  _ react _ to a phrase. It’s how I can make those thorns at the front gate so deadly. How I can help a seedling get the boost it needs to sprout. Some little things, some larger, but it does take practice and training… as well as a good connection with the things around you.”

Nodding a bit, Prompto chewed on his lower lip as he thought over what he had learned.

“So… do you think I’m an earth mage then? That’s why I can speak like you? Why you have me learning this stuff?” he asked, looking back over to Ignis.

“I’ll be honest. I’m not sure if you are a true earth mage, or if your abilities as a sleigh beggy led you to soaking up some of this magic. However, it doesn’t stop me from believing that this is a path that you would do well in. It seems to come second nature to you, and it may allow you to expend some of that built up magic and focus it into something less harmful to yourself and the surrounding area. I believe I mentioned that manifestations may occur around you?”

Prompto flushed and nodded. “It usually happened if I was super tired or if I got… frightened. I’d create something out of nothing like… my window sill being filled with vines and flowers.”

Ignis’s brow rose at that and he gave another little hum.

“Perhaps… it’s not entirely out of the realm that you do have the blood of an earth mage in you,” he mused. “Did either of your parents practice, that you were ever aware?”

Prompto’s flush only grew and he shook his head. “I… um… I don’t really remember my birth parents? I was… kinda pushed around from family members and then into foster care. I was thought of as a problem child and a jinx because of all the things that happened around me. You said it was probably due to fae attempting to help me? Why didn’t I ever see anything if I have this magic power?”

“There are two possible reasons. One could be that you don’t have ‘the sight’ or the ability to see other worldly beings without assistance. The other could be that they were too shy to show themselves to you,” he explained, though there was something now unsettled in his chest to think that Prompto’s life had been a constant shifting and changing thing with no stability for him to find. Judging by how and where he’d found him, it was no great deduction to think that he was escaping from another unloving home.

However, Prompto didn’t seem to get bogged down by his past. Rather, he couldn’t help smiling a little as he heard about the fae. “Well… they made things difficult, but… if they were really trying to help, I could understand and forgive,” he said with a little nod, looking back over at Ignis. “Is… is there any way to see them?”

“Oh… well… there are a few different ways to contact the fae, but… it’s not something to be taken lightly,” Ignis warned. “Though perhaps on my next ingredients run we can attempt to see a few creatures that might intrigue you and sate your appetite.”

“No daemons, right?” Prompto asked, and Ignis couldn’t help giving a little smile and a huff of a laugh.

“No. No daemons. Some nuisances, surely. But nothing too detrimental to your health. I need my apprentice to be fully intact if he plans on helping me.”

Prompto smiled at the reassurance, but when he heard the title Ignis had donned him with, his eyes widened.

“Wait… wait, really? I… I could be your apprentice?” he asked in slight awe.

“I don’t just start teaching every random person I find in the forest the basics of natural alchemy,” Ignis said with a little eye roll, but his expression was still kind. “So… if that has quelled some of your questions for the evening, would you care to join me in the garden so we can get started on this list from Gladiolus?”

“You bet!” Prompto said brightly, tossing the pillow he’d been holding to the side as Ignis stood and stretched his long legs before heading toward the hall.

“Don’t forget the book, Prompto. You’ll need it for notes,” Ignis called, getting an excited affirmative from behind him.

A smile still lingered on the mages face as he grabbed his gardening apron from the hook and put it on.

This was definitely going to be an interesting evening.

Hopefully Prompto’s sleep potions wouldn’t manifest into the draught of death like his first batch.


	9. Inside This Heart Of Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few things are realized that makes hearts soar... and then...

Prompto had traveled around at night a few times in his life.

Sometimes to keep from going home, or what was supposed to be home.

Sometimes because he’d been kicked out of said home and needed to ‘ _ think about what he’d done _ ’ like some misbehaving dog.

Never had he gone out at night and felt such a feeling of… well… for lack of a better term, magic.

The back garden almost seemed to take on a completely different change of character, but still offered up the same warmth and safety that he’d come to associate with it.

“Here.. you’ll need these,” Ignis said in passing as he handed Prompto a pair of gardening gloves and an apron of his own.

Prompto nodded, putting the tan gardening apron on before looking down at the gloves he’d been handed. They definitely had him taking a moment of pause.

Ignis, for as short a time as he’d known the man, embodied the crisp and clean look. No truly vibrant colors, no flash and dazzle. That is, until  _ these. _

They had a coeurl print to them and a slight shimmer even under the twinkling of the stars and the moon. It was jarring enough that he stood there for a moment, trying to figure out why Ignis had them, before hearing someone clearing their throat behind him.

Sadly, an unbecoming yelp escaped him and he almost dropped the gloves he had been ogling.

“Everything alright, Prompto?” Ignis queried as he took in the blond for a moment.

“Uh… yeah… I just… you… have very interesting gloves,” he fumbled a bit before finally finding some semblance of the phrase he wanted to say.

Ignis’s eyes widened a bit as he glanced down to Prompto’s hands and saw which pair he’d handed him. A little smile tilted up at the corners of his lips and he nodded. “I’m not by any means a flashy man, but this was a nice way to add something… unexpected to my ensemble,” he said with a little glance down to himself.

“So… you picked these out yourself? Really?” Prompto said as he started to put on said gloves, not noticing the flicker of tension that momentarily passed over Ignis’s features.

“They were a gift,” the mage answered quietly, causing Prompto to pause as he heard the softly spoken words. However, before he could push his luck by asking any more questions, Ignis was already stepping forward into the center of the garden, leaving Prompto no choice but to follow.

“Now. Where to begin?” the mage wondered aloud, hands on his hips as he surveyed his garden. “There have been more respiratory problems coming from the town thirty miles from here. Another town closer by has been suffering from chronic headaches and fatigue. What do you think our first course of action should be?”

Prompto had been glancing out amongst the flowers and vines as Ignis spoke, not prepared for a question to actually be posed to him. When he glanced over and saw the mage looking at him with a quirked eyebrow he realized that he really  _ was _ being asked, and floundered slightly. In a perfect rendition of a deer caught in the headlights mixed with a freshly landed fish, he stood there gaping and standing stock still before his brain finally decided to kick in.

“O-OH! Oh, I mean… we should… if they are having breathing issues we could use… Eucalyptus? And… I think your book said peppermint can be helpful too!” he offered as Ignis gave an approving nod.

“There  _ is _ one you’re missing. It even has a very important part of our breathing process in the name,” Ignis offered, waiting to see if Prompto would catch on.

Biting his lip, he tried to think back to his notes before a bright smile appeared over his lips. “Lungwort!”

“That’s it!” Ignis exclaimed, a little smile actually appearing over his lips and making Prompto smile all the more for its appearance. “So, let’s get to work. Grab the extra pair of pruning shears and follow me.”

With that last little order, Prompto hastened to follow, and soon the pair were working to gather the leaves, roots, and stems of the plants they needed for their elixirs.

The work was quiet and calming in a way that Prompto found enjoyable. Glancing over, he would catch Ignis focusing on one of his beloved plants and something in his chest would warm to see the fondness that was there for the work he did. At one point they began chatting a bit as well, though the conversations stayed light.

Had Prompto ever tried licorice tea?

Did Ignis have a favorite plant?

Was Prompto prone to sunburn, and should Ignis invest in a sunhat for him?

Did Iggy know that he had a bit of dirt on his nose?

The questions soon turned into an easy banter that had both of them smiling a bit more as they moved on to gathering ginger, turmeric, feverfew, and butterbur for the other ailments. Both men currently knelt near the north edge of the garden nearest the hedges.

“You have got to be joking?” Ignis asked as Prompto finished telling him a rather ridiculous tale about being chased by chocobo chicks when he was seven.

“No, no! Honest to gods truth!” he said, holding his hand to his chest and raising the other in the air, still gripping his shears. “I didn’t know that they really enjoyed the humming of the chocobo song, and then when they saw my hair they must’ve thought I was one of them!”

Prompto could’ve sworn he saw Ignis’s shoulders tremble slightly as the man’s smile grew, a giddy feeling bubbling in his chest at that.

“Now you’re definitely pulling my leg,” Ignis said, trying to compose himself, though Prompto was positive he saw a few cracks in his normally stony facade. “How could they possibly be so enamored with something like a song? The hair, I understand.”

Gasping dramatically at the hair comment, Prompto sat back on his heels, watching as a teasing smirk appeared over the mage's face, and finding he looked years younger from it.

“First of all, rude. Second of all, have you ever heard the chocobo song?! It’s catchy as heck! Of course they’d want to bop to it and follow me!” he countered as Ignis shook his head.

“Ridiculous. And no… I’ve never heard the song before,” he admitted with a shrug.

This earned an even longer and more dramatic gasp from Prompto, who shook his head.

“Nope. That’s an injustice and we’re remedying that right now,” he said, dusting off his gloves before getting up to stand beside Ignis. 

Ignis paused his own work to look up at the man curiously, though the smile still remained, and soon, Prompto’s antics were on full display as he began to sing. And not just sing… but dance like an idiot.

“ _ I want to ride my Chocobo all day! Listen to them chirp! Listen to them kweh! _ ” he sang happily, shimmying where he stood and giving a little flap with his arms. “ _ I want to ride my Chocobo all day! Until they settle down! In their nest of hay-AHH! _ ”

Sadly, the next few seconds were filled with what could only be described as chaos.

Forgetting where he’d placed the bucket he’d been gathering the herbs in, he tripped over it and started to fall back. In an attempt to avoid stomping all over what he’d collected, he ended up over correcting himself, twirling gracelessly with arms flailing and an ear piercing screech escaping him. Then, in a crescendo of bad luck, he tripped over his own feet, landing flat on his back in a wonderfully damp pile of compost.

Now… sprawled out amongst the decomposing fruit and vegetable peels, looking like he was making a garbage snow angel, Prompto wondered if he had the power to make the earth swallow him whole.

And then he heard it…

It started out muffled to where he wasn’t sure he was  _ actually _ hearing it, but soon it grew more and more until there was no mistaking it.

Laughter.

Completely unrestrained, carefree laughter. Echoing around the garden unashamedly and making Prompto’s heart feel lighter and brighter than he could ever imagine.

Lifting his head up, he glanced over to see Ignis sat on the ground, one arm wrapped around his stomach as his free hand tried to cover his mouth to quiet himself. But it seemed that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop laughing at the sight before him.

To be honest, Prompto found he was absolutely okay with that.

Sitting up, Prompto propped himself up on his elbows, biting his lip to stop from joining in with Ignis’s infectious laughter.

“Really? You’re just gonna sit there and laugh at me?” he teased, bringing a snort out of the taller man.

“Y-You… you looked li-hi-hike… oh gahads! A-and… and tha-hat noise!” Ignis squeaked, voice pitched higher from laughter as he took off his glasses and wiped at the tears of mirth escaping. “Sh-should’ve… seen your fa-ha-hace!” And with that, he was lost once again, a snort breaking free as he let the hilarity of the moment take him over.

Now Prompto definitely couldn’t help himself and joined in, both men laughing until their sides and stomachs hurt, finding it difficult to calm as one look from the other would set them off again.

Slowly, they were able to calm themselves, intermittent giggles still escaping them as Prompto shuffled his way free of the compost pile. He made his way back over to Ignis. The mage continued to try and catch his breath, his glasses still held in his hand as he wiped at his teary eyes.

“Oh, Prompto. I haven’t laughed like that in… years,” he admitted, glancing over to him and making Prompto’s breath catch a second.

Without his glasses and with laughter still present in his voice and eyes, Ignis looked so… handsome, especially in the moonlight. His eyes shone a little greener, and Prompto even noticed the slight freckles that were over his nose and cheeks. He’d known Ignis was good looking from the get go, but… seeing him so carefree and unguarded… his heart instantly beat a little harder in his chest.

“Pfft… yeah, no problem, Iggy,” Prompto offered after a minute, cheeks flushing a bit as he realized where his thoughts had gone to. However, his own smile remained strong as he continued to look at the mage. “Besides… you got a nice laugh. I’d gladly fall into garbage to hear it again.”

_ Smooth. Nothing like talking about garbage to set the mood. _

Before Prompto could fling himself back into the trash where he belonged, he heard Ignis chuckling once more, and his heart gave another little flip of excitement.

“Duly noted, but please don’t do that on my account,” Ignis offered as he put his glasses back on, facing Prompto once more and wrinkling his nose a bit. “Really. I’m sure you can come up with less smelly ways to make a person laugh. I’m a fan of puns, so I suggest that route.”

This time Prompto giggled and nodded. “Got it. No more garbage,” he promised.

“Now. I think that we’ve collected enough for one evening, and this was far more excitement than I was expecting. Why don’t we head in? I’ll get started on the potions while you clean yourself up,” Ignis offered, the smile from before still lingering on his lips as he stood and offered his hand to Prompto.

Happily taking it, the younger man nodded and stood, feeling his face flush once more from the contact. “Okay, sounds good. Thanks, Iggy,” he said, grabbing his bucket of herbs as Ignis grabbed his own before following the man inside. The memory of Ignis’s laughter leaving him smiling like an idiot.

\---------------------------------

This was how the following weeks seemed to continue.

Prompto found himself trying more and more to bring that smile and laughter out of Ignis, and for the most part succeeding. Though he did keep his promise not to involve trash in making it happen.

Little comments in the kitchen, light banter in the gardens… it was all something he cherished immensely. There was that little voice in his head that wondered if he was merely latching onto the first person to show him kindness. Though he quickly dismissed that, as Ignis, while helpful when they first met, was not exactly  _ kind.  _ However, he could see the change in the man the more they spent time together.

Ignis had started to open up more and more to him. He would joke back, going so far as to even tease him about things, and the words were meant to be light instead of targeted and lethal jabs. Prompto would note a little smile lingering here and there and the way the man just seemed to… come alive in a way that he hadn’t been sure he was capable of before. If he got nothing out of this except friendship and making Ignis a little bit happier, he would be more than content with that. However… there were times when he wondered if perhaps Ignis was starting to feel something too.

Sometimes he would turn his head to find that Ignis had been glancing at him, noticing a little color riding high on his cheeks and finding his own cheeks warming in return.

During a particularly cold evening, thanks to his lack of a wardrobe, Ignis had offered him one of his sweaters which he had since stolen. It was a red, knitted thing, and far too large for his frame, but it was warm and it carried the fresh, springish scent that Ignis always had about him. It appeared that Ignis was more than happy for him to keep it, as after laundry one day, he found it folded and tucked in amongst his other clothes.

It was these little things and so much more that made him question if perhaps there was something starting to grow between them. While he had promised that he would be content with friendship… it didn’t stop his heart from hoping for more.

Currently, they both were in the kitchen. It was a quiet, Thursday morning and the previous night they’d been up late working on a few new elixirs to send with Gladio on his next pick up. So far, the only news they’d been able to get out of him was that the Crownsguard were still looking for the cause of this upspike in sickness and the encroaching daemons. There was still a tension there between him and Ignis, and Prompto sensed that whatever was happening, both men knew more than they wanted to share in front of him.

He had asked Ignis after one such meeting if he thought there was more going on.

“I think… that from what I’m seeing and what’s been happening, this is a repeat of something that happened before. There are a few differences, but it all still… feels the same. Sadly… I think that certain people are trying to ignore the obvious,” Ignis had said quietly, his expression still tense as he watched Gladiolus disappear back through the gate to the cottage. “Time will tell. Hopefully it won’t be too late.”

After that, Prompto had dropped the subject. He wasn’t sure what to make of it, and was more than a little terrified to ask. Instead, he focused on bringing the lightness back, if only for a little while longer.

“Do you think you figured out what went wrong with your cough curative last night?” Ignis asked from his spot at the counter, his hands busy mixing together a few eggs for a simple breakfast.

“Yeah! So… I added a  _ bit  _ too much willow and… not enough juniper. That’s why the fumes gave me hiccups,” he nodded to himself. He wrote a few notes down at the kitchen table on a small pad of paper, eyes roving over the book Ignis had given him. While he wrote, his tongue stuck out in concentration, his focus only broken when he heard a soft chuckle. Glancing up, he saw Ignis’s eyes focused on him, sparkling lightly before turning back to his scrambled eggs.

“You’re doing that… thing again. When you concentrate too much on your writing,” the mage teased.

Prompto instantly flushed and stuck his tongue back into his mouth, scowling playfully. “Now you’re going to make me self conscious about it!” he whined, earning him another chuckle.

“Well don’t be. It’s… endearing,” the man said quietly, his smiled softening as he spoke, and color only just visible on the tips of his ears as he turned to grab a frying pan.

Prompto felt his heart flutter rapidly in his chest as he heard that, and he fought to not give a ridiculous giggle of excitement at the sweet comment from his grumpy mage.

Prompto’s eyes widened as he realized what he’d let cross his mind.

_ His _ grumpy mage.

_ His. _

He knew that he had started to develop feelings for the man, but… apparently he hadn’t realized just how deep those feelings were starting to run.

Feeling a little flustered at his own thoughts, he cleared his throat and gave a little chuckle of his own. “Well, now you’ve got me ‘tongue-tied’ so I don’t know what to say to that,” he tried to play off smoothly with a bad joke. Apparently it worked, as Ignis snorted from his spot by the stove and turned around with an amused yet unimpressed look.

“Your puns are as bad as your cough potions,” he quipped, and Prompto gasped indignantly.

“Hey! I just told you I figured it out!” he tried to argue.

“Yes. And you figured it out  _ wrong _ , I’m afraid,” Ignis replied smoothly. Before Prompto could form a rebuttal, Ignis shook his head and glanced over at him. “While I finish this up, go to my study and in the top left drawer there is a book on medicinal herbs of Northern Tenebrae. Go get it and we can look it over during breakfast. It’ll be easier to explain to you that way, I think.”

Prompto gave a deep, dramatic sigh as he stood from his spot at the table, acting as if it was the largest chore in the world to accomplish. “Fiiiiiine. But don’t eat all the eggs before I get back. You’re an ‘egg’-cellent cook and I don’t want to miss a meal!” he ribbed. This time he earned a groan from Ignis, who pointed his spatula at him.

“Get the  _ ‘shell’  _ out of here. Don’t  _ ‘whisk’  _ hurting yourself trying to be a pun master. You have to ‘ _ crack _ ’ a few more ‘ _ yolks _ ’ before you reach my caliber,” he countered, and Prompto could only stand there, mouth agape, at the quick response. Throwing his hands up in the air in defeat, he turned to leave the kitchen, lamenting all the way.

“That’s… that’s not even human! No one should be able to do puns like that!” he called back, the only answer he received being a soft laugh.

Before long he had made his way to the study, opening the door and making his way straight to Ignis’s desk. It still felt weird being able to enter this area. It felt so personal, though he had never been forbidden to enter any room in the home, he’d always kept his distance.

“Now… which drawer was it?” he mused to himself, glancing at the desk before making the executive decision of opening the upper right.

Inside the drawer was a small, green book. It was old and smudged on the cover, but it looked almost like the journal Ignis himself had given him. This had to be it.

Pulling it out and closing the drawer he opened the little journal, curiosity making him wonder just what he’d gotten wrong in his potion, and hoping that the plant book would give him some idea before he got back to Ignis. However… this… was not exactly a pre-printed book on Tenebraen plants.

The journal was filled with a quick, slanted handwriting that Prompto didn’t recognize as Ignis’s. He had grown accustomed to the neat and tidy script the mage preferred, thanks to the book he’d given him all those weeks ago. No. This was messier and yet, the words and advice in it were all plant based as well.

‘ _ The apple tree saplings seem to respond better to the compost and garden soil mix vs. the top soil and mulch mix. _ ’

‘ _ Aegir root, when mixed with a dash of salt and three drops of linseed oil, is the perfect salve for pruned trees. It will preserve the branch and keep it from rot….. tried to tell that to Twiggy and he got defensive. _ ’

Prompto paused at that.  _ Twiggy?  _ He continued reading on, finding other little notes and comments in the journal.

‘ _ I’ve come to the conclusion that Twig-nis is better with the trees thanks to the stick that permanently resides in his backside. _ ’

Prompto couldn’t help snorting at this, realizing that this was someone’s writing about Ignis, though he wondered when this had happened. Who was this guy? And why did Ignis still have his notebook? As he continued to read, he noticed eventually that this person's comments weren’t going unnoticed.

In that neat and tidy handwriting he’d come to know, he found a comment written in the margin next to the ‘stick’ jab.

_ "If Nyx spent more time looking after the fuschias vs trying to come up with removal plans for sticks in body parts, he would've noticed the acid burns from too much nitrogen in the soil." _

“Nyx?” Prompto murmured, chuckling as he read Ignis’s quick quip back. Why had Ignis never mentioned him before? Was he a former friend? Former classmate?

“Put… the book…  _ down, _ ” a cold, accented voice spoke from behind him, sending a chill right to Prompto’s core. He hadn’t realized that he’d been standing there, leaning against the desk with his back to the doorway. As he turned around, he was met with the steely gaze of the mage, the warmth from just a few minutes before completely gone as he looked at Prompto with something akin to fury.

Oh gods…  _ what had he done? _


	10. I'm Powerless, I'm Meaningless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pain of the past, the loss of a future... and why a mage has let his heart be so guarded.

It was strange how in the last few weeks, Prompto had seemed to grow on him. Ignis found himself smiling more, laughing more… just… finding a brightness to his life he hadn’t realized he’d been missing.

After the little debacle in the back garden, something had changed in their dynamic. Prompto seemed even more eager to help him, opening up a bit more, and it felt like he was actively trying to make his life happier. Surprisingly, it felt like it was working. Ignis really couldn’t remember the last time he’d smiled so much or laughed so hard. It was… nice.

Though while it was nice, there was something that did startle the mage. It had been caused by a single moment. Prompto had been writing out a few more notes under the oak tree while Ignis had watered some of the freshly planted blackberry bushes. He’d turned to ask the younger man a question, and in that moment he’d found himself unable to utter a single syllable.

The light playing through Prompto’s blond hair, the way his tongue slightly stuck out as he wrote, the sweater that he wore falling just a little over his hands, which he’d seen fit to steal from Ignis, all made something in the mages chest warm and his heart honest to gods  _ flutter _ . He was surprised he hadn’t realized before, but… his affections and feelings for the sleigh beggy were growing by the day. Now, in this moment he realized… he was well and truly in trouble.

Yet he didn’t mind a bit.

The trouble came with trying to figure out how best to approach this.

Did Prompto have an inkling to his affections?

Would Prompto return such affections if they were brought up?

Was he really smitten or was this just him latching on to the first person to make him feel human again in years?

Regardless, as he sorted out these questions, he kept quiet in his own heart, though little comments did manage to find their way out. Much like the one in the kitchen that Thursday morning as he’d caught the blond sticking his tongue out again as he wrote.

It was when Prompto had been gone for a little too long that Ignis had decided to forego finishing their breakfast to make sure the man hadn’t somehow managed to lock himself in his study or fall out a window. After seeing for himself the other's bad luck, he wouldn’t put it past him.

What he hadn’t been expecting to see was Prompto holding that particular book.

Seeing the book, especially in another’s hands brought out a dark, visceral reaction in the mage. His heart felt frozen with anger and all he knew was that he wanted it out of Prompto’s hands.

“Put… the book…  _ down, _ ” he growled, watching as Prompto turned around to face him, the other's expression a mixture of shock, uncertainty, and worry.

“I-I’m sorry! I thought… I was looking for…,” the other tried to explain, but Ignis found he couldn’t quite quell the dark feeling in his chest.

“I  _ know _ why you came in here. It was to grab a simple book, but apparently that was beyond your ability,” Ignis snarled as he stepped closer. His longer legs made it easy to reach his desk in a few strides before grabbing the book from Prompto’s now pliant hands and shoving it back into the drawer from where it came. “Has no one told you that it’s impolite to go through one’s private property? Or are you so socially stunted that it is completely out of your depth to realize such matters?”

“Hey!” Prompto barked back, making Ignis pause for a moment as he turned to find the blond glaring back at him. “I made a mistake, alright? I opened the wrong drawer, that’s it. That doesn’t give you the right to bite my head off and talk down to me like this.”

Ignis felt his skin prickling at the way Prompto was talking back to him, feeling defensive of his actions.

“If it was a mistake then you should’ve put it back the moment you realized it, instead of reading something you had  _ no permission _ to!” Ignis countered, though Prompto was undeterred.

“It’s just a book! It’s just like the one you let me borrow, except it has some other guy's writing in it! It’s nothing special and I don’t see why you’re so defensive about it! What? Were you afraid that I was just going to see how much of a dick you are through someone else’s eyes, because let me tell ya, you’re doing a  _ fantastic _ job of letting me see it in first person.”

Ignis growled in his chest, his hands shaking by his sides. “Be quiet, Prompto,” he whispered, but it appeared the blonde was on a roll now.

“Is that it? Is that why you don’t want me to read your  _ precious _ book? Because some guy chronicled you being horrible and Astrals forbid someone find it? If this is how you react to someone reading it, I hate to see what you did to the author! Did you murder him and bury him in the backya-”

“THAT’S ENOUGH!” Ignis bellowed which seemed to do the trick in shutting up the blond. Ignis could feel how heavy he was breathing, every fiber in his body tense at hearing Prompto speak like that. Speak about  _ him _ like that. “You really want to know why I have that book? Why I find it so dear and so personal? It’s because it’s the only thing I have left to remind me that Nyx Ulric actually existed! To remind myself that there really was a man out there so pig-headed, idiotic, ridiculous and… gods damned selfless as to give his life to protect another's!”

Ignis watched as Prompto stood there in a bit of surprise, but he found he couldn’t stop from feeling that bubbling anger rise more and more. With nothing forthcoming, he found himself unable to hold back, needing to make everything perfectly clear.

“You probably don’t even remember The Blight! It’s only been five years, and yet if you were to ask anyone from here to Lucis to Altissia, they wouldn’t be able to say a thing about it! Let this be a little  _ history _ lesson for you then, as well!” he shot back, starting to pace the floor, unable to contain the fury induced energy that felt like it was racing through him.

“Nyx was another earth mage. He and I worked under his Royal Highness in Insomnia and were tasked with the study and experimentation of various plant-based potions. Everything from healing to crop stability, it was our job to study, refine, and create better ways of helping those in need. Did we like each other from the get go? No! I despised him. He was full of himself and had such a lackadaisical approach to everything that there were days I thought I’d go crazy being in the same greenhouse as him!”

Ignis ran a hand through his hair, trying to catch a little breath as he found himself standing in front of the window facing the back garden, the sunlight only just reaching over the hedges.

“It was during one of our work days that I found his little  _ book.  _ Saw all of his wonderful commentary and decided to add my own. It became a little bit of a match between us then. Who could one up the other. Who could have the last comment, the last zing, the last bit of banter. And whatever animosity we once had toward one another turned into something… different. Something… better. Kinder.”

For the first time since he’d found Prompto with the book, Ignis’s voice had gone quiet, his mind thinking back to a time when two enemies had become friends. And how that friendship had grown into something so much more. Something that he had treasured and that had filled his life with so much more than he’d ever expected.

Apparently the quiet had gone on for too long, as Prompto took the moment to speak. “You loved him,” Prompto whispered quietly, and Ignis felt his chest ache at the truth spoken so plainly.

“I did,” he whispered, his voice strained as he spoke, but he refused to give into this pain, shaking his head. The tension returned to his frame and he shut his eyes as memories of the past rushed forward once more. “But what did it matter? Five years ago… a blight began to affect almost every corner of the Eos. The hardest hit region was in Lucis. A scourge that sickened people and wilted crops, working to weaken the country from the inside out. Daemon attacks increased tenfold, and while Gladiolus and the Crownsguard worked to fight them back, the rest was left to Nyx and myself. Our work became more important than ever.”

Ignis could see it all again, the long nights spent working in the greenhouses, trying to figure out how to battle this plague, working until their own magic felt on the hinges of depletion as they tried to find a way to push back this scourge. Experiment after experiment failing as whatever was attacking the people and the earth seemed unstoppable and ravenous in its need to destroy. However, they had not been deterred. They found strength in each other to continue to work, and soon… a glimmer of hope.

“Slowly, we began to make progress. We began to find ways to fix the soil, strengthen the roots, and the people began to get their strength back. It was around this time that we learned this wasn’t just a trick of nature. No natural disaster could cause such intense reactions so quickly. It was the work of a madman. His code name was 'Adagium', and he was more daemon than man. From what the Crownsguard gathered, he had his sights set on the Crown City of Insomnia. If he could topple this kingdom, then he knew he could claim the rest. But with what we had created, the potions and elixirs imbued with our particular magic, we had halted his movements and were slowly pushing him back.”

Then…  _ then… _

“Ignis?” Prompto whispered, sounding a little closer, and as the mage opened his eyes he could see the blond’s reflection in the mirror, his expression concerned, and Ignis grit his teeth as he forced his heart to keep from shattering all over again. Turning around he faced the blond, his expression still filled with anger and hurt, but Prompto needed to  _ know.  _ He needed to understand.

“One day… Nyx and I were working on a small plot of land we’d commandeered just outside of Insomnia. It allowed us to use greater magic and try more things without getting in the way of everything that was happening within the city walls. We… we never thought that our work would be what was targeted. With the soldiers closing in day by day, we had assumed that we could continue our work unhindered as the pressure was put on Adagium. We were wrong.”

Ignis glanced to his desk where the book lay quietly hidden away in the drawer, swallowing thickly as he thought of that day.

“He came for us,” he whispered. “This beast… this…  _ daemon. _ It was like being enveloped in a smog that wanted to choke the life out of us. Eyes golden and seeping black, no life within them. Only malice and hate. I knew who it was by the reports we’d received, and in that moment I was frozen. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t act. My body felt like lead as I saw him rushing toward me… daggers raised and glinting like claws ready to kill prey. And then… that  _ idiot.  _ That absolute idiot moved in front of me! He took the brunt of the blow and gods…”

Ignis’s hands shot up to his ears, his eyes squeezed shut as everything felt too vivid, too real as he relived these moments. “I heard him scream… watched his body get tossed aside like a ragdoll and then… I just… lost control. I attacked without rational thought, wanting to hurt, kill, maim… destroy! The next thing I remember is seeing that daemon's body bubbling and seeping into the earth before me… watching as it's blood poisoned the land we had worked so hard to till and create to help. Then I remembered Nyx. I turned to try and find him, knowing he needed help. Kn-knowing that he had been hurt and… and then I saw him and I knew. I knew I was too late,” he rasped, his hands moving up to his hair and gripping as a wounded sound escaped his throat.

“After that day I threw myself into our work. Trying to finish off whatever remained of that bastard's plague. Trying to cure and heal and stop others from hurting as much as I had been hurt. And do you know what the result was for this hard work? What thanks he received for his sacrifices? Nothing!” he shouted, lowering his hands and looking at Prompto with a wild look in his eyes. “The blight was dismissed as an act of nature! That the cures were only due to nature setting itself right! Those who knew that we had helped were ungrateful! Wondering why we hadn’t helped sooner, why we hadn’t done more, why he hadn’t given certain people more help and they were all just so... so  _ ungrateful _ !”

Prompto’s face was pale as he listened, his freckles standing out against his skin and his lower lip caught between his teeth as he looked caught between wanting to say something and being unsure of what to say. But Ignis didn’t want his pity. Didn’t need it! He shook his head and began to pace once more.

“When asked what I wanted for my services, all I asked for was to be left alone. To be allowed to hide away from a world that had turned its back on us  _ first. _ A world that had decided that the life of a man was worthless. But it wasn’t! It wasn’t worthless and he had so much more to give and because of  _ me _ he threw it all away! I have to live with that! Every day I have to live with knowing that he died to protect me! He threw his life away to save me, and in return for his sacrifice… everything we did was dismissed and forgotten as if it was all bad weather or a fluke of nature. So no, while he may not be buried in the back yard as you so eloquently put it, not a day goes by where I don’t blame myself for his murder!”

Prompto winced as heard this, his previous words thrown back at him making him regret ever uttering them so carelessly. “Ignis. You… you can’t think that. You can’t think he threw his life away for you?” the young man whispered, but Ignis shook his head.

“I froze! If I had been able to react or move, he would still be here!” he shouted, voicing a hurt that had plagued him for years and that he had never spoken. He could feel the burn in his eyes and the strain in his chest starting to become too much to bear. “It’s all my fault that he’s dead! That he gave up his life for nothing! It’s all my fault, i-it’s all m-my fault…”

Ignis didn’t notice when he’d closed his eyes or when the tears had finally started to escape until he felt a warm hand settle against his cheek, a thumb moving over the cheekbone. He gasped at the contact, opening his eyes to find Prompto standing before him. There was no pity in his eyes, only a sorrow that seemed to mirror his own.

“I’m sorry,” the younger man whispered. “I’m so, so sorry, Ignis.”

And with that, Ignis felt the weight of his sorrow come undone, and after all these years he finally allowed himself to grieve. For the man he had loved, for the life that had been lost… for a future that had been dashed.

At some point, Prompto’s arms had wrapped around him, allowing him to be vulnerable and safe and to let go of this hurt he had carried for so long.

All of this pain wouldn’t disappear with a day, but as he wrapped his own arms around the younger man’s smaller frame, his shoulders shaking with his grief, he knew that this was the start to something he should’ve faced long ago.

Now… he didn’t have to face this pain alone.


	11. And There Can Only Be One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With his past come to light, new beginnings are put in jeopardy as an old foe reappears. Is another future about to be dashed?

It was a few hours later that found the two men sat at the kitchen table. Prompto moved forward with two mugs of tea in his hand, setting a cup down in front of the mage who’s eyes were still red-rimmed, though the anger and sorrow from before seemed lessened now.

“Thank you,” Ignis rasped as he wrapped shaking fingers around the mug and pulled it closer, Prompto offering him a small smile as he took his own seat once more.

“Hey, no problem,” he murmured, letting the steam from the mug rise and swirl before him as he still continued to process everything that he had learned. What could he say? Was there anything he could say? Every word or phrase he thought of felt flat and useless and the last thing he wanted to do was say the wrong thing.

Before he could even attempt to say one of the multitude of things swirling in his head, he heard Ignis taking a breath and glanced up to see the mage's eyes trained on him.

“I’m sorry,” Ignis whispered. “For… lashing out at you as I did. It was… unbecoming. What I said… was out of line and I apologize for it.”

“No! No, Ignis. You have nothing to apologize for,” Prompto instantly said, reaching forward to cover one of Ignis’s hands with his own and giving it a small squeeze. “If anything, I’m sorry for… what I said earlier. I didn’t know and if I had, I sure as heck wouldn’t have said it.”

Ignis offered a small smile and shook his head, eyes moving to the hand covering his own. “Like you said, you didn’t know. And… if I’m honest… there’s a small part of me that’s happy that you found his book. I… I have never really faced what happened that day. What happened in the study was a long time coming and… for what it’s worth, I can say that it does feel better to have spoken about it. About  _ him _ , again.”

Prompto gave a little nod at that and smiled, absently soothing his thumb over the mage's knuckles. “From… from what I read, he sounded like a real character. And… from what you said, he sounds like he was a great guy,” Prompto murmured, getting another little smile from the mage.

“He was. He was a nuisance of the greatest proportions. But… it was just part of his character. Another part that I… loved about him,” Ignis admitted.

It was Prompto’s turn to feel an ache in his chest, but he nodded in understanding. “Did… did he know you loved him?” he asked quietly, looking back down to his cup of tea, though his hand never left Ignis’s.

The mage paused then, thinking his next words over carefully. “I believe he did. We… never said it aloud, but… I know that I cared deeply for him. I know that he cared deeply for me. But I must admit that I regret not having said the words aloud. If only so that he knew back then.”

Prompto nodded at that, biting his lower lip as he thought on the answer. “I can understand that… wanting to make sure that someone you care about knows just how much you do,” he whispered. He felt the hand beneath his own shift and he wondered if perhaps he’d said too much, but within a moment he felt fingers threading with his own and glanced over.

Ignis was watching him intently now, and Prompto could feel the uptick in his chest as his heart one again fluttered in a way that had become common when Ignis focused his attention on him.

“Prom-...,”

“Ign-...,”

They both began before stopping, both men offering awkward smiles at the hindered words. However, before either could speak again, there was a knock at the door and Ignis’s brow furrowed.

“Oh. Were you expecting Gladio today? I thought he didn’t need the potions until tomorrow?” Prompto said, watching as Ignis seemed to tense slightly. “Iggy?”

“Shh…,” Ignis whispered, his eyes looking toward the hallway to the front door, hearing two more heavy knocks. The sound echoed down the hallway.

“Prompto… remember what I said about the blight? About the uprise in daemon activity?” Ignis murmured, his voice holding a bit more urgency now. Without waiting for a response, he continued. “For weeks now, Gladiolus and myself have been noticing that what’s happening now is almost verbatim what happened back then. I don’t think that Adagium was vanquished that day. I don’t think that daemon was fully destroyed.”

Something unsettling prickled under Prompto’s skin as he heard two more knocks. Glancing over, he caught sight of Ignis’s stare focused on him, his eyes glowing with a hue of green that he’d never seen before. “Run.”

Without another warning, a blast of dark energy shattered the door leading into the house. The sound of splintering wood and twisting metal from the hinges filled the small cottage as both men instantly stood from the table.

“Get out!” Ignis shouted, careful in his words to make it sound like it was directed towards the intruder, rather than Prompto, who felt frozen to the spot.

“Is that any way to welcome someone into your home, Ignis?” a deep, sonorous voice rumbled from down the corridor, heavy footsteps making their way closer and closer as Ignis moved to stand in front of Prompto. Slowly he began to back up, herding the younger man toward the door that led out toward the garden.

“It is. Just ask Gladiolus,” Ignis shot back.

Prompto finally starting to react as his trembling hands reached and opened the door. Glancing back, his heart stopped as he saw the figure standing before them in the entryway of the kitchen.

He was a tall, broad man. His hair scarlet and wild as his eyes glowed yellow… a dark miasma leaking from his lips and tear ducts as a deranged smile spread across his lips.

“Dear Gladiolus. He was gracious enough to give me the password to your humble abode,” Adagium purred, stepping closer. “To be fair, it did take a little persuasion on my part, but a Shield can only last so long before it weakens and caves.”

Ignis growled in his chest, in a flash two daggers appearing in his hands that glowed with an ethereal light that Prompto would’ve been struck by had it been under vastly differently conditions. “What have you done with him?!”

“It’s of little consequence. What you should be concerned with is what I’m going to do with you, should you continue to protect that sleigh beggy behind you. I’m afraid that with the power he harnesses, he is rather an important part to my plans. So… be a good little earth mage and hand him over won’t you? We don’t need anymore senseless bloodshed do we?”

“Run, Prompto!” Ignis shouted, throwing one of his daggers toward the daemon before pressing his free hand against Prompto’s back, urging him through the door. He didn’t need much more convincing as he raced into the back garden, hearing Ignis’s footsteps right behind him. “Go towards the forest! Don’t look back!” the mage urged as they kept running.

Prompto’s lungs and legs burned with exertion as he raced toward the safety of the treeline, but as he neared it he could no longer hear the sound of Ignis behind him. Turning his head, he saw why.

Ignis was standing as a barrier between himself and that monster, the back garden thrumming with the energy he was pulling as he prepared for his stand off with the daemon Adagium.

“Ignis!” Prompto shouted, turning to head back before feeling something wrap around his ankle, a vine trying to pull him toward the safety of the forest, even as he tried to get back to Ignis.

“Get away from here, Prompto! RUN!” Ignis shouted once more, turning his full attention back toward Adagium and throwing the other dagger at his mark.

The daemon easily deflected it, much as he had the first, chuckling darkly even as the weapon disappeared in a spark of light and returned to Ignis’s hand along with the other. “Well now, isn’t this familiar. An earth mage risking his life for another. Tell me… how did that work for Nyx, hmm?” Adagium goaded, though Ignis refused to rise to the bait, maintaining his position between Prompto and the monster.

“Don’t you dare speak his name,” Ignis growled. “I swear to the Six if you take one step closer, I  _ will _ end you.”

Another deep, resounding laugh escaped Adagium and his smile grew to that of a Cheshire cat's. “Oh… did I press on an old wound there? You only hindered me before, Ignis. This... is my payback.” 

In a movement quicker than anything Prompto had ever witnessed, he saw the monster feign to the left as if to pass by Ignis, and this time the mage did fall for his trick, his adrenaline fueled body moving before he thought. Stepping to the side, Ignis attempted to block Adagium’s path again, but before he could realize his error, before he could correct his mistake, the daemon had already shifted behind him, a wicked smile on his face.

“Give Nyx my regards,” he purred before calling forth a dagger of his own and thrusting it deeply into Ignis’s side.

Imbued with the dark scourge that enveloped the daemon's very soul, the blade dug in and unleashed its poison into the mage, a desperate ear piercing cry escaping Ignis. Smiling at his victory, Adagium pulled the dagger out, the mage’s blood dripping from the black blade. Ignis instantly dropped to the ground, writhing in pain as the poison began to travel quickly through his body, his veins standing out dark against his pale skin, blood staining his shirt crimson.

“IGNIS!” Prompto shouted as the vine that had been holding him back released as Ignis’s magic began to fade, sapped from him by the daemon’s weapon.

Standing over his victim, Adagium turned to face the sleigh beggy, the dagger seeming to smoke and bubble as it soaked in the mage’s blood. “Don’t worry about him. As soon as the poison reaches his heart, he’ll no longer feel any pain. It’s the least I could do after what he did to me,” he remarked darkly, slowly prowling closer toward Prompto. “What you should be worried about is what I’m going to do with  _ you _ , my darling little sleigh beggy. With your magic I’ll be able to come back to my full power. I’ll be able to unleash a hell upon this earth that has never been seen before.  _ You _ will help me. His death is meaningless… but your death will give me  _ life.  _ Now… come here…”

Before he could advance any farther, a root from the old oak in the corner shot through the ground, piercing through the madman’s heart and halting him in his tracks.

He seemed just as surprised as Prompto as he glanced down at the root, listening to the ragged breathing behind him.

“I… will not let you… h-harm him,” Ignis gasped, his hand extended as he drew on the last of his strength to save Prompto. “I st-stood still before… I will not stand still again!”

“What?! Do you think a mere  _ tree  _ is enough to stop me-AGH!  _ WHAT… WHAT’S GOING ON?! _ ” 

As Adagium spoke, green, blue and golden light seemed to seep in from the surrounding ground and flow into the old tree, straight to the spike that held the daemon fast. The earth that Ignis had taken care of and given his magic to began to return it tenfold, focusing all of the magic and light into this one point of contact to dispel the darkness that threatened to seep into it.

“YOU CAN’T DO THIS! YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME!” Adagium bellowed as he tried to push himself away from the root piercing his chest, his hands burning as they made contact with the magic imbued wood.

“ _ Dei--... Deireadh! _ ” Ignis cried out, and a flash of light enveloped the daemon, pained and panicked screams escaping Adagium as Ignis’s magic burned him from the inside out, dissipating and destroying the plague that he had dedicated his life to eradicating from this world.

Then, in a burst of flame and billowing smoke, the daemon that had stood before them was gone, Prompto having to shield his eyes from the intensity of the light.

Slowly lowering his hands, his eyes adjusted to see the root that still protruded out of the ground. The plants and trees of the garden looked drained and wilted as their energy had been used to conquer the evil that had made its way into their realm. Then his eyes found Ignis… and his heart stopped.

“Ignis,” he whispered, his heart freezing in his chest.

The man was laying on his stomach, blood seeping from the wound to his side and staining the earth beside him. His eyes were closed and his complexion ashen grey as the dark black veins continued to trail along his skin. The only signs that he was alive was the rattled breathing escaping him and the slight twitching of his body from the pain of the poison.

Prompto finally felt everything come back into focus and he ran back toward Ignis, his heart beating wildly in his chest and hands shaking as he realized that he didn’t know what to do. He dropped to his knees beside the man, hands hovering over his body as he felt his own breathing becoming erratic. Slowly bringing his hands down, he began to turn the man over, bringing him to lay on his back, settling Ignis’s head in his lap to try and offer some sort of comfort.

“Ig… Ignis. Gods, what… what do I do?” he rambled, his hand touching the mage's clammy forehead as the other settled over his heart. He could feel the sluggish and irregular thrum of it against his palm and a choked sob escaped him. “Please… tell me what to do!” he begged, watching Ignis’ eyes try to focus on him and failing. The green eyes that normally held their fiery spark were dulled.

“S’fine… Prompto,” he whispered, taking in another shaky breath as his face contorted into a grimace. Moving a hand up he let it fall over Prompto’s that still remained settled on his chest, over his heart. “I… I wasn’t going to let him h-hurt you. I… I couldn’t let him hurt you.”

Prompto’s hands began to shake as he listened to the man, watching as the poison slowly continued to drain the life from his eyes. Another choked sob escaped him and he shook his head as tears began to roll down his cheeks. Closing his eyes, he tried to figure out what he could do. What he could possibly conjure to help the man when he felt a cold, shaky hand cupping his cheek.

“Shh… shh… it’ll b-be okay,” Ignis lied and Prompto’s heart shattered.

“No! No it’s not!” he shouted, his hand reaching up and covering the one on his cheek. “Th-this isn’t how it’s supposed to go! The… The bad guy is gone and… and things are s-supposed to get better. You’re supposed t-to teach me more and I’ll stay here with you! Please… I don’t want… I can’t lose you n-not now that I’ve f-found you.”

Ignis’s eyes closed as he listened, a little smile on his lips as his breathing slowed and the irregular beat of his heart grew more erratic. Prompto opened his eyes as no remark or sharp comment came back. No teasing word or quick witted banter. The mage's hand that had rested against his cheek slowly lowered and Prompto knew… his time was up.

“Ignis? Ignis?! No… no please! You didn’t even let me tell you! You don’t even now that I… I... ” he choked on a sob, his hands moving to clutch the front of the mage's shirt. Gut wrenching sobs shook his frame. His heart felt like it lay broken and jagged in his chest, each breath more painful than the last. The depth of his sorrow felt like it knew no bounds as he cried in anguish.  A tension unlike any other began to build in his chest, burning and sparking as if igniting him from his very bones.

_ Why had he been cursed like this… to hurt those he cared for? _

The ground beneath him began to shake.

_ Why did Ignis have to suffer as he did? Why did the mage give up his life for someone like him? _

The rustle of leaves and creaking of branches and vines resounded around them. 

_ Why couldn’t they be allowed the happiness they deserved? _

_ Why… why… why?!  _

All at once a blinding and searing power burned through his veins, foreign yet familiar… a power he’d only felt in trickles now reaching its full and raw potential, with the force of his emotions being the catalyst. It was as if in this moment he could feel the heartbeat of the earth, the untamed wilds of nature answering to his beck and call in a way he’d never experienced before.

With all that power, with all that energy, he focused on the one thing his shattered heart yearned for.

_ “Ná téigh,”  _ he rasped, urging Ignis to not leave him alone, not leave him lost all over again. _ “Tar ar ais… mo ghrá ... le do thoil!”  _ It felt like all he could do was beg… asking whoever, whatever was listening to bring Ignis back. Bring his love  _ back _ !

His emotions were surging, being pushed to their very limits, then… in an instant… it all felt sapped away. His mind going blank as searing heat tore through him. In this moment of nothingness, it felt like an explosion in his chest and head and the last thing he remembered before darkness pulled him under was the shouting of two familiar voices…

… and the sharp inhale of breath. 


	12. And At Last I Am Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new path opens through the thorns as a little sunshine is let in.

_ One Week Later: _

“Ow!”

“That’s what you get when you try to move before you’ve healed properly,” Cor growled out, his eyes narrowed at the man sat on the sofa. He ignored the way the occupant glared at him and waved a dismissive hand. “If you want to keep it up, I swear I’ll call  _ him, _ and then what will happen?”

Ignis growled in his chest before slinking back down under the blanket that covered him. “You wouldn’t dare,” he seethed, watching as Cor lifted an eyebrow.

“Try me.”

“Don’t you have anything better to be doing than babysitting me?” Ignis snorted, wincing at the pull in his side and huffing at the unfairness of it all. “Isn’t there a Shield with a headache you should be worrying about?”

“If that’s your way of asking after Gladio, then yes… he’s doing fine. Adagium's main goal was you, and he wasn’t about to expend all his energy killing Gladio. Though he does still have a rather nasty gash on his head from their fight.”

Ignis gave a little nod as he heard that, though before he could ask anymore he heard the sound of something crashing from the kitchen and groaned, leaning his head back against the cushions.

“Sorry! Sorry! I swear it was an empty dish!” Prompto called as he made his way into the living room, a tray of tea in his hands as he made his way to the sofa.

Cor smiled as he watched the blond moving over, happily accepting his own tea before watching with amusement as Prompto turned to his ‘patient’.

“How is destroying an empty dish any better than a full one?” Ignis asked, watching as Prompto stirred a few things into the tea he had brought.

“Well… less of a mess to clean up?” Prompto offered with a little smile, getting an eye-roll for his troubles, though the mage's lips did twitch up at the corners.

“Ridiculous,” Ignis grumbled, getting a little swat to his arm. “Ow! Stop that! I’m injured!”

“Yeah, well… you’re also being a grump and it’s not good for your recovery, so you stop it first,” Prompto shot back, Cor having to hide a chuckle as he drank from his cup.

Ignis shot the man a glare before turning back to Prompto. “You should be resting as well. When you lost control of your powers in the garden, you depleted almost every bit of energy you had.”

“Yeah, well… it was worth it,” Prompto whispered quietly, though the soft smile still remained on his lips as he stirred the tea. Ignis felt his cheeks heat slightly at that and cleared his throat. “Besides,” Prompto murmured, glancing down to his wrist and to the bracelet it now adorned. “With this little beauty I shouldn’t be able to expend so much magic in a single outburst.”

The bracelet that now lay clasped around his wrist was a dark leather with crystals inlaid into the braided material that caught the light just right to glimmer light purple and iridescent pink. The crystals were of a caliber that helped to take some of the magic Prompto garnered from the world around him, and keep him from building up so much that it triggered another release of unharnessed power. After hearing about what Cor and Gladio had witnessed in the garden, it was the first thing Ignis had deemed to get the sleigh beggy to make sure he didn’t do something so reckless again.

“I’m a magical battery pack as well, right? I already feel a hundred times better and  _ you _ are the one who needs to focus on getting better now. Now… drink up and don’t leave a drop of it. It’ll help with the swelling and scarring,” Prompto piped up once more, casting a soft smile toward the mage.

Ignis could only give a little nod as he was handed the cup, sniffing the contents before narrowing his eyes. “You remembered to add the goldenseal this time, right? I swear if this gives me hiccups again…”

“No, no! I followed the ingredients list to the letter. It’ll be fine, Iggy. Promise,” the blond offered, and Ignis found that the earnest expression he was faced with did nothing but make his heart flutter and his entire being feel safe.

“Well… since you two are busy making lovey eyes at one another, I think that’s my sign to head out,” Cor announced, making the other two men flush. The smirk on his face proved that it had been his intention. “I can see myself out. You two just continue to rest, alright? From what I can tell, everything seems to be going back to normal. The sicknesses that have been reported are slowly going down, as is the daemon activity. So take it easy. I’ll have more updates for you later.”

With that, Cor left the two men alone, the quiet of the room only broken up by the crackle of the fire.

“He’s annoyingly blunt, isn’t he?” Ignis finally spoke up, apparently startling Prompto as the blond jumped before turning to him. Ignis smiled at the reaction and glanced to where the Marshal had just disappeared. “Though he means well.”

“Sounds like someone else I know,” Prompto teased, his smile growing. “He’s stubborn, bull headed, blunt, and absolutely selfless… but I love him just the same.”

This time Ignis felt his entire being flush up, and took a sip of his tea to try and cover it, though the giggle he heard from Prompto was proof enough it didn’t work.

“You’re lucky I love you or you’d be in trouble for making me flush this much. Maybe it’s just the tea? Ow! Okay! Okay! It’s not the tea!” Ignis amended as he got another swat to his arm.

Prompto chuckled and took a seat beside his mage, reaching over to take his free hand. The light from the fire landing on the new bracelet and making the crystals sparkle.

They had both been through so much in their short lives. They’d faced countless heartaches, been treated cruelly by the world, but somehow, someway they had found one another. They had managed to rise from their troubled pasts and grow. And they would continue to grow stronger and better together.


End file.
